What I Learned About Leadership This Week
Some weeks don’t feel “big” on paper… but your body tells the truth.
This week was my first full week back from my summer break and my first week of work travel. It reminded me that leadership isn’t just what we do.
It’s how we’re doing while we do it.
I noticed it in the small moments:
• The meeting where I was technically present, but internally racing.
• The email I almost fired off too fast.
• The conversation that went better the moment I slowed down.
Here’s what I’m taking from the week.
1) Your state sets the tone (whether you mean it to or not)
We like to think leadership is strategy + communication + execution.
It is… but it’s also nervous system management.
When I started the day steady, I led with more patience, more clarity, more range.
When I started the day rushed, I led narrower - quicker to react, quicker to assume, quicker to push.
This is why I keep coming back to this truth:
Real leadership starts with state: settle your system, then set your strategy.
Because when you’re unsettled, your strategy might still be smart, but your delivery won’t land the same.
2) Consistency creates freedom (not pressure)
I’ve been experimenting with a more consistent early start: move my body, eat well, do focused work before the day gets loud.Not to “win” the morning.
To reclaim it.
Consistency isn’t about perfection.
It’s about creating a baseline your nervous system can trust.
And when your system trusts you, you stop negotiating with yourself all day long.
That’s freedom.
3) The most human leaders create the most capacity
This week I saw (again) that the leaders who create space for honest conversations don’t lose authority, they gain influence.The moment you name what’s real - pressure, uncertainty, change, fatigue - people exhale.
They don’t need you to be unshakeable.
They need you to be steady and real.
Being human, on purpose, is not a soft option.
It’s a leadership skill.
Fuel Friday Reflection Questions (pick one and write for 3 minutes)
1. What was my default “state” this week - steady, rushed, guarded, open? What triggered it?2. Where did I lead from reaction instead of intention? What would a reset have looked like in that moment?
3. What’s one small discipline I can commit to next week that will create more freedom for me (and for others)?
And have a great weekend.
Michelle
#MichelleSalesLeadership #Leadership #HumanOnPurpose # LeadershipCoaching #RealLeadership
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