How my thinking on leadership has evolved
Dear Diary…
I went back and reread my own blogs recently.
Not out of nostalgia (okay, maybe a little), but out of curiosity. I wanted to see what I’ve really been saying to leaders over the years—beneath the frameworks, the workshops, the carefully chosen words.
What surprised me wasn’t how much had changed.
It was how much had quietly deepened.
In the early days, I wrote a lot about communication and emotional intelligence. Leaders struggling to be heard. Teams misreading intent. Meetings that felt busy but oddly empty. At the time, it felt urgent—leaders needed better conversations, better listening, better language.
Then something shifted.
As I worked with more senior leaders—especially those navigating complexity, influence without authority, and high-stakes decisions—I noticed the real tension wasn’t what they said. It was who they were being while saying it.
That’s when presence entered the conversation.
Leadership presence isn’t polish. It’s not performance. It’s what happens when a leader walks into a room and the energy settles—or tightens. I remember sessions where nothing dramatic happened on paper, yet teams left saying, “Something felt different today.” That “something” was presence.
And then came flow.
Flow showed up quietly at first—leaders describing moments when everything clicked. When effort dropped, clarity sharpened, and performance felt… natural. Over time, I realised those moments happened when authentic self and strategic self stopped fighting each other.
Looking back, the progression is clear:
- From communication skills
- To presence and voice
- To flow as sustainable performance
If there’s one thing I now believe deeply, it’s this:
Leadership growth isn’t about adding more skills. It’s about removing the friction between who you are and how you lead.
For leaders heading into 2026, that friction matters more than ever.
Reflection for you:
Where in your leadership do you feel most “on”?
And where are you still trying too hard?
If you’d like a simple reflection tool to explore this, I’ve linked a short resource.
With clarity,
Sharm
