When was the last time you sat still—not to fix something, but to feel something?
Most founders I coach are brilliant, driven… and drowning in motion.
Their calendar is packed…they have systems and are busy all day. EOS? Check. Scaling Up? Check. Meetings? All day.
And yet—they’re still stuck.
One client told me, “I don’t have time to think.”
But what he really meant was, “I’m afraid of what stillness might reveal.”
Stillness, aka meditation, has a way of exposing the stuff we work hard to avoid:
- That our vision has drifted
- That our team is confused and waiting on us
- That we’re tired of performing leadership instead of practicing it
But here’s what most leaders don’t realize:
Stillness doesn’t just reveal the hard truths.
It unlocks your wisdom. You access your inner voice of leadership
My Own Wake-Up Call
Years ago, I thought movement = value.
If I was hustling, I was leading.
Then burnout hit like a freight train.
My coach asked, “When’s the last time you were still—without trying to fix anything?”
I couldn’t answer. And that scared me.
In the quiet that followed, I heard the truth:
I didn’t trust myself to lead unless I was in crisis mode.
That was the start of a new rhythm—one built on reflection, not reaction.
Not from fear. From clarity.
What the Data Says (And Why August Is Your Window)
Only 16% of executives make time each week for strategic thinking.
And it’s costing them:
- 36% more likely to make poor decisions
- 42% more likely to miss market shifts
(Source: ExecutiveSearchFirmNews, 2025)
Not because they aren’t smart.
Because they’re never still enough to think clearly.
And August? It’s your window.
The meetings ease up. Clients go dark.
And suddenly, the whisper creeps in:
"Push harder. Do more. Don’t fall behind."
But what if that whisper is wrong?
What if this slower season isn’t a threat—
It’s an invitation to lead differently?
Client Story: Jason’s Turning Point
Jason was a founder in logistics, deep in firefighter mode.
Busy. Exhausted. Resentful.
His team felt it. Retention slipped. Clarity vanished. His family got a walking zombie, not a husband or father.
I gave him one challenge:
Block 30 minutes once a week for stillness. No fires. No emails. No meetings.
He resisted. “That’s impossible,” he said.
But he tried it. And in that silence, he saw it clearly:
“I’ve been reacting, not leading. I’ve been avoiding the conversations I need to have.”
That mediation session became a catalyst.
He reset the strategy. Had the tough talks. Promoted his rising leader to COO.
Within months, his team stepped up—and he finally had space again.
Not just on his calendar, but in his head and heart.
What’s Really Going On: 3 Things Most Leaders Miss
Stillness isn’t just good advice. There’s science—and psychology—behind it:
**1. Amygdala Hijack: Why Chaos Feels “Normal”
**When we lead from adrenaline and urgency, our amygdala runs the show.
It floods us with cortisol and convinces us that *only crisis = importance.
*But that “rush” rewires our brain to react, not *reflect.
*And it slowly erodes our decision-making, patience, and long-term vision.
**2. Leading From the Head is Self-Protection
**For a lot of leaders, logic feels safer than vulnerability.
Spreadsheets are cleaner than emotional conversations.
But true leadership? It requires both brain and heart.
Stillness is where those two finally meet.
**3. Stillness is Strategic, Not Passive
**This isn’t about incense and mantras.
It’s about presence. Awareness. Intentional pause.
Harvard Business Review calls it the “Strategic Pause” for a reason.
Stillness builds your capacity to think before you act, see before you speak, and lead before you chase.
Try This: Your 30-Minute Block
This week, open your calendar.
Pick one 30 minute time slot. Label it **“Stillness.”
**Guard it. Honor it. Use it.
Ask yourself:
- Where is the business drifting?
- What truth am I avoiding?
- If I trusted myself more, what would I stop doing?
No agenda. No performance. Just you.
Final Thought
If you don’t make time to hear the whisper…
Eventually, it becomes a scream.
Stillness isn’t weakness. It’s *wisdom.
*And the best leaders I know? They lead from reflection, not reaction.
If you’ve done all the “right” things—but something still feels off—
Let’s talk.
You don’t need another framework.
You need a new rhythm.
Your conductor in work & life,
Todd Palmer Guests –
Todd Palmer returns to Paper Napkin Wisdom with a transformative mantra: “Everything happens 4 me, NOT 2 me.” As a coach and former CEO who rebuilt from near-bankruptcy, Todd shows how this shift from victim
to creator empowers leaders to face adversity with intention. By asking “What’s the gift here?” and owning our thoughts, we move from reactive to proactive. His message: rewrite your story, live in the present, and find growth in every challenge.
Life isn’t against us—it’s for us.
Where to Listen –
