How a strategic pause can sharpen your next step
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in the April 2025 Newsletter.
Are you giving yourself what you need to truly thrive — in business and in life?
On a recent walk near my parents’ home in England, I paused, as I have many times, to gaze at two oak trees that always seem to catch my eye. They’ve stood in the same open field for decades, maybe centuries. Still. Expansive. Rooted. And quietly thriving.
I’ve been thinking about what allows them to grow so powerfully. Time. Space. A resource-rich environment. And how, sometimes, those are the very things we deny ourselves when we’re deep in work or building something important.
This message is about growth that doesn’t come from pushing harder, but rather from making room, stepping back, and letting deeper roots take hold. If this resonates with where you are in your own work or life right now, I’d love to hear from you.
As anyone who writes for an audience knows, timing is always a bit of a gamble. I wrote this before the recent tariff announcements; you're reading it after. I'm not an economist or a politician, and I won’t pretend to be - but I do know how to support leaders through uncertainty. Whether you're leading yourself, a team, a company, or a project, this exploration of "pausing" may be valuable in your work. Sharing what I've learned over the years of my career is one way I can support my community, so I offer occasional free, virtual workshops on Leading in Challenging Times. You can learn about these by registering for our newsletter.
Step Back to Move Forward
In leadership and business, stepping back can feel like a luxury, but often it’s the smartest, most strategic move you can make. Stepping back isn't necessarily about slowing down, it's about recalibrating. It’s about regaining perspective, so you can make more informed decisions, respond with clarity, and align your energy with what truly matters.
Stepping back matters because:
Burnout is real. Ambitious professionals often carry too much for too long. Without pause, performance suffers.
You lose perspective. Being in the weeds prevents you from seeing the bigger picture. In volatile times, it's critical to notice when the landscape has changed. (note: the article is technical and a bit clunky, but worth the read)
You stop learning. Reflection creates space for insight. Without it, experience doesn’t translate into growth.
What stepping back can look like in real life:
A personal offsite: Book a day at a quiet spot - just you, a notebook, and your thoughts. Let the "aha" moments find you!
A “thinking week” (or afternoon): Inspired by Bill Gates' practice: no meetings, just reading, reflecting, and exploring ideas.
A structured strategy session: Use strategy driving frameworks like SWOT or “Start / Stop / Continue” to review your business from above. You can do this solo, with your team, or with a guide or coach (check out the next section for how we could do this together).
Silent working time: Block hours where input stops and output pauses. Create an intentional gap in the noise, unplug from alerts, email, etc. Dig in deep to questions that matter.
These practices don’t just reduce stress, they improve performance. They’re what help you work on the business instead of just in it.
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes… including you.”
— Anne Lamott
