Presence Over Perfection: AI Does Perfection. Humans Do Presence.
Most employees aren’t lying awake at night hoping their manager becomes a flawless superhero. They don’t need perfect speeches, flawless plans, or answers to every question.
What they want is presence.
A leader who shows up, listens, and adapts in the moment.
Because presence beats perfection — every time.
Shifting the Lens: From Flawless Plans to Real People
Teams rarely remember every polished slide deck. But they do remember the leader who stayed calm when the server crashed, or the manager who made eye contact during a tense call and simply said, “Tell me more.”
A leader’s steady presence can lower stress levels faster than any motivational quote.
The Right Questions: What, Why, Where
- What is presence?
Genuine attention, open body language, and a willingness to pause before reacting. - Why does it matter?
People take emotional cues from the person in charge. If you show steadiness, they can focus on work instead of office drama. - Where do you practice it?
Not at leadership retreats or annual reviews — but in daily stand-ups, one-to-ones, and even the hallway walk to grab coffee.
Three Everyday Moments that Shape Culture
1. Morning Check-Ins
Ask: “What will make today a win for you?”
- Listen to understand, not to fix.
- Mirror back key points to show you heard them.
- End with: “Let me know where you need me.”
Five minutes of presence can prevent five days of firefighting.
2. Decision Meetings
Perfection-driven leaders stall while chasing the “right” answer. Present leaders do this instead:
Invite two contrasting views. Bring the critique voice to the fore.
Decide, summarise, and note next steps right there Advocate, articulate and advice appropriately.
Clarity beats perfection — and lowers team anxiety.
3. End-of-Week Diagnosis
Ask three simple questions:
- What worked?
- What was hard?
- What will we try differently Monday?
This creates space for learning, not judgment — and leaves people heading into the weekend feeling heard.
Common Hurdles and Simple Fixes
- Back-to-back calls. Block 10-minute buffers to reset.
- Camera fatigue. Suggest walking no-phone meetings.
- Silent meetings. Rotate facilitators so every voice gets airtime.
Presence is less about finding more time, and more about creating better moments.
The Takeaway
Perfection is a moving target. Presence is a daily choice.
When you trade polish for presence, you replace pressure with partnership. Look up from the screen, fold your laptop, and ask: “How’s it really going?” That single act speaks louder than any flawless strategy deck.
And here’s the kicker: presence isn’t learned from a book. It’s practiced — in the room, with others, in real conversations.
That’s why we’re gathering at the Leadership Learning Festival Singapore on 17 October 2025. Not another conference of perfect slides. A festival where you practice presence — the skill teams want most from leaders today.
👉 Join us at Leadership Learning Festival Singapore. Sign up here
Reach out to us for our leadership and training solutions. We offer Better Conversation Skills Singapore, Communication Skills Training Singapore, Communication Coaching Singapore, Communication Skill Course Singapore and Conversational Skills Training — all designed to help leaders thrive in the real moments that matter.
