I had a conversation this week that won't leave me alone.
It was about energy. And how most of us spend our days up in our heads. Thinking. Analyzing. Planning. Problem solving.
All good things. But not the whole picture.
Think about the best leader you've ever worked with. The one you remember. They didn't just think well. They made you feel something. When they walked in the room, something shifted.
That wasn't strategy. That was energy. That was presence.
I've been paying attention to this more lately. Not just what I'm thinking but what I'm bringing. Am I actually here right now? Or am I three conversations ahead?
Here's what I've noticed.
The days when I'm in my head, running scenarios, worrying about the pipeline, overthinking the next move, my conversations are flat. I'm technically saying the right things but nothing lands.
The days when I slow down and actually show up in my body, present, grounded, in the room, everything is different. The conversations go deeper. The connection is real. The outcomes are better.
Same me. Same skills. Same words. Different energy.
What this looks like in practice.
It's not complicated. Before a meeting, I take 10 seconds. I stop thinking about what I'm going to say and ask myself: How do I want to show up?
That's it. Not what's my agenda. Not what's my talking point. How do I want to show up?
Present. Calm. Curious. In the room with this person.
It sounds too simple to matter. But it changes everything. Because people don't remember what you said. They remember how you made them feel. And how you make them feel is a direct reflection of the energy you brought.
Where I see this.
I see it coaching executives. The ones who lead from their head are competent. The ones who lead from their energy are magnetic.
I see it at home. The nights where I'm physically there but mentally somewhere else, everyone feels it. The nights where I put the phone down and actually show up, everything is different.
Your week.
You can have the right strategy. The right words. The right plan. But if your energy is off, none of it lands.
Before your next conversation, try this. Stop thinking about what you're going to say. Ask yourself: How do I want to show up?
Show up in your body. Not just your brain.
That might be the most underrated leadership skill there is.
Talk soon,
Jon
Until next week,
Jon