At Working Life, I help high-achieving professionals navigate complexity, particularly through change. Not just with logic, but by growing a deeper sense of awareness.
With over 650 coaching sessions across 24 multinational organizations, I’ve seen time and again that great leadership isn’t just about strategy or execution, or worse: knowing it all..! So often, the high performers already have the insight they need – they just need to feel into it, get clarity about what it’s offering, learn to trust it, and use it to lead with purpose. When you integrate both knowledge and sensing, decision-making becomes clearer, leadership feels more aligned, and you create the kind of presence that inspires others. My work is about helping leaders tap into that clarity—so they can lead with conviction and direction with purpose.
At its core, leadership is about more than driving results, it’s all about purpose. And purpose isn’t something we know as much as something we sense.
When leading others through complexity and change, what are we need? More data? More certainty? Or, at a deeper level, are we seeking reassurance, safety, or control? When we quieten our own inner noise and really listen, we often find that we already know what we need to do. The answer isn’t in more thinking—it’s in more sensing. 🧠✨
⏸️ The power of pausing: Leadership as presence
One of the greatest yet most underused leadership tools is: Pause and reflect.
In a world that values speed, pausing can feel like weakness. Yet, the most effective leaders understand that presence—the ability to fully sense what is happening in the moment—is a leadership superpower.
🔹 Before making a major decision, pause.
🔹 Before responding to conflict, pause.
🔹 Before reacting emotionally, pause.
When we pause, we create space for deeper awareness. We move beyond reacting and into responding with clarity. This is why mindfulness, reflection and deep listening aren’t just personal wellbeing tools—they are leadership necessities.
🔹 The Wisdom of ‘Not Pressing Send’
That moment when I hesitated before pressing send all those years ago? It wasn’t just a professional lesson, it was a leadership awakening. It taught me that wisdom often lives in the pause. That sensing isn’t about ignoring expertise, but about integrating a deeper level of awareness into how we lead.
Leadership isn’t just about knowing more. It’s about sensing deeper. And in that space between knowing and sensing, real wisdom emerges.
💙 This marks the final post in this series on Sensing vs Thinking in Leadership. The ability to lead with both clarity and intuition isn’t just a skill, it’s a practice. If this has resonated with you, if you’ve found these insights thought-provoking or relevant to your leadership journey, let’s talk. I’d love to explore how you can deepen this skill and integrate it into your decision-making and leadership approach.
📩 Reach out at info@workinglife.co.uk or visit www.workinglife.co.uk/letstalk to start the conversation.
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