When a leader flourishes the whole room breathes deeper
There’s a word that’s been following me lately, ‘Flourish’.
Flourish feels soft at the edges, but bold in the middle. It sounds like growth and the colour of gold and something that once held back, suddenly opening.
But at the same time, flourishing isn’t about having it all together - it’s not a highlight reel or a finished product, flourishing is quieter than that…. It’s the gentle, persistent stretch toward what feels right and true.
It happens in the middle of the mess.
In the way we choose to come back to ourselves.
In the way we listen.
In the way we lead.
I’ve noticed something in leaders: the ones who truly flourish aren’t always the ones who rise the fastest or speak the loudest.
They’re the ones who make space.
Space to grow.
Space to rest.
Space to wonder.
Space to be fully, unapologetically human.
If you lead others—and I believe we all do, in one way or another—then your own flourishing matters more than you know.
Here are some learnings from coaching leaders in the past few years:
You don’t have to be perfect.
You just have to be honest.
You just have to be rooted.
You just have to be willing to grow—toward light, toward truth, toward something better.
Because when a leader flourishes, quietly, steadily, the whole room breathes deeper.
Flourishing isn’t a destination. Flourishing is a music of becoming and emerging; a rhythm made up of quieter practices: of meaning and purpose, of wellbeing and self honour, and of creativity and play.
And a framework has been emerging over the past few years to capture and nourish some of the recurring themes, called the Zone of Brilliance™. I’ll be talking more about it in the coming weeks and months and holding space in an online community for those who wish to explore and develop their ‘flourishing’ muscle.
If that’s you then jump on board. Contact me here or Book a chat.
#flourish
#performance
#creativity
#creativeinnovation
#wellbeingfoundation
#professionalaspiration
Thought experiment:
Maybe you’re wondering—am I flourishing? Perhaps the better question is: Where am I already flourishing, even if it doesn’t look the way I thought it might?
You might also ask;
What’s energising me lately?
What feels life-giving in my leadership?
Where do I feel most alive, even if just for a moment?
Don’t rush the answers. Let them rise.
