Calm in the Chaos
How Courage, Clarity, and the Body Lead the Way - Part of the 1000 No’s series
“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.” – Sun Tzu
It’s been some time since I posted.
Not because I had nothing to say. But because I chose to pause from writting.
To breathe.
To feel.
To listen to what was needed—not just from the world, but from myself.
This piece is one of my 1000 No’s.
A clear, embodied No to panic.
No to spinning in fear.
No to reacting from urgency masquerading as leadership.
And a bold, conscious Yes—
Yes to slowing down to speed up.
Yes to making space to think, feel, and choose again.
Yes to leading from the body, not just the brain.
Because if you’ve been paying attention, the pressure is rising.
Trump’s new tariffs.
Tumbling markets.
Recession fears.
Confusion in companies.
And the very human truth underneath it all: uncertainty is exhausting. Uncertainty in global economy is making everyone feel shaky. How do I make and save money? For me and my family, for the business I am responsible for? What else is about to happen'?
Whether you’re a senior leader, a founder, or figuring out your next big step, this isn’t just about the economy. It’s about your nervous system, your ability to lead, and your relationship with the future you want to create.
Let’s talk about how we hold steady when the world shakes—and why strategy alone isn’t enough.
1. The Octopus You Forgot You Had
A few years ago, I was scuba diving deep in the ocean with my partner. I was calm. Happy. Slightly stoned from the depth (yes, nitrogen narcosis is real). And then—bam.
Something happened with my regulator, which is a crucial piece of diving equipment that allows divers to breathe underwater. The second stage or demand valve (the part that you have in the mouth) stayed put, but the air supply hose dis attached.
Suddenly, I couldn’t breathe.
Panic surged. My body screamed you’re going to die. I bolted toward my partner, signalling frantically, reaching for his octopus—the spare regulator every diver carries for emergencies. I grabbed it, inhaled—and finally, I could breathe.
(For anyone wondering, what the hell is an octopus? An Octopus is a modified version of a standard second-stage regulator that is equipped with a longer hose to facilitate easier air sharing with a dive buddy in an out-of-air situation. It also features high-visibility yellow panels for better visibility underwater.)
And then I realised something.
I had my own octopus.
It was right there, strapped to my chest.
I just couldn’t see it.
Because under pressure, our perception narrows. We lose access to what’s already available.
This is how the nervous system works.
And this is why presence—coming back into the body—isn’t optional for real leadership. It’s required.
2. Your Strategy Is Only as Good as Your State
In uncertain times, most people reach for strategy. More plans. More analysis. More meetings. Rushing to action.
But clarity? That doesn’t come from thinking harder.
It comes from presence.
Your body is constantly scanning for danger—even when you’re not aware of it. That’s the job of your autonomic nervous system, beautifully mapped by Polyvagal Theory (thank you, Dr. Stephen Porges).
When your system perceives threat—real or imagined—you drop into ancient survival responses:
Fight – get louder, push harder, take control.
Flight – avoid, escape, stay busy.
Freeze – shut down, disconnect, go numb.
Fawn – people-please, appease, defer.
We all do it. You’re not broken.
But here’s the kicker: when these responses are active, your thinking brain goes offline.
You literally cannot see what’s obvious.
And if you are curious to read more about Polyvagal Theory and how to regulate, here is a beautiful article from my friend, Kate Avery on State Before Strategy: Why Regulation is the Ultimate Skill for Leadership & Life.
3. The Control Reflex and What It Costs
Let me deep dive into one of those survival tendencies in real time.
I’ve been speaking with a lot of leaders lately—across industries, inside companies, and those building something new for themselves. And under pressure, many of them are falling into the same instinct:
Trying to control what they can—and what they can’t.
Not because they’re bad leaders.
But because deep down, control feels like safety.
When the ground is shifting, grabbing the wheel feels like the responsible thing to do.
Fear—whether we name it or not—is a natural emotional response. Especially when livelihoods, reputations, or visions are on the line.
But here’s what tends to happen next:
People stop delegating.
They second-guess decisions.
They intervene too early, too often.
They issue urgent demands that cause teams to scramble.
And unknowingly, they shut down the very trust, creativity, and clarity they actually need from others.
Micromanagement is a fight response in a power suit.
All of it makes sense. It is a normal response.
But over time, it kills leadership.
Because real leadership means knowing when to pause, when to trust, and when to make space for others to rise.
Not everything needs to be fixed right now—or at least, not by you.
But by the people actually better suited to do it.
4. Leadership Presence Is a Power Move, Not a Trend
So what do you do?
You center.
Centering is a simple but powerful body-oriented practice that helps us to become present open, connected, and on purpose:
Breathe…fill your belly, your chest and long exhale… again…and again
Feel your feet.
Lengthen your spine. Feel your verticality.
Feel for left and right edges of your body. Widen your awareness and relational field.
Sense your depth. Back body, organs, front body.
Set an intention. What really matters right now?
What do you notice came to your awareness? And what is the message?
And then you have the possibility to choose how to respond.
It doesn’t take long. But it changes everything.
When you center, you shift your physiological state. You reclaim your perception. You stop reacting from habit—and start responding from who you want to be or what you want to create.
Too often we react from past frustrations or obsession with controlling the future, from our survival strategies and learned behaviours.
Victor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, said:
"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."
That is the freedom you get when you are in the present moment, REALLY in the present moment.
It’s not just mindset work. It’s body-level repatterning.
Think of it as recalibrating your internal compass before navigating the storm. Without it, you’re just spinning the wheel, hoping for the best.
(Want to learn how to do it? Reach out and I will teach you.)
It has impacted all of my clients in almost magic ways when they start to practice.
More peace of mind.
Better difficult conversations.
Clearer choices.
Increased impact in the high stakes meetings.
Powerful speeches.
And more…
5. You Can’t Change What You Can’t See (Until You Slow Down)
Here’s the hardest truth of all:
We don’t see what we don’t see.
And under pressure, we see even less.
That’s why presence is so powerful. And why partnership matters.
Because sometimes, the thing you need most is already there.
Your octopus is strapped to your chest.
Your team is ready to rise.
Your next step is one breath away.
But you need someone to help you see it.
Before You Go—Three Questions to Sit With
Take a moment. Feel your feet. Breathe.
Then ask:
What fear is running in the background right now? (Or even better, make My Fear List, bring them out in the open, then you can do something about it)
What future am I committed to—regardless of the chaos? (And…what are you doing to create it vs. just live the future that is being created for you)
What conversations am I avoiding? What would shift if I had them?
One Question. One Insight.
What if what you think is missing… isn’t?
What if it’s been right there all along—
but fear made you forget where to look?
That was me underwater.
That’s every leader I’ve coached at some point.
The answer isn’t out there.
It’s in your body.
It’s in your breath.
It’s in the No you need to say—
and the Yes that’s been waiting for you underneath it.
Let’s go there.
Ready to take your leadership, career and life to the next level?
Reach out, we’ll talk and explore what amazing future we can create together despite the circumstances and uncertainty.