Leading from the Center: A Reset for Clarity and Team Flow
When momentum stalls on a team, most leaders look outward.
More structure. More communication. A sharper strategy.
But in many cases, the first shift isn’t external — it’s internal.
One of the most powerful truths I’ve learned in coaching senior leaders is this:
The clarity you create inside yourself sets the tone for everything around you.
It’s not about being perfectly balanced or endlessly calm. It’s about noticing when your own internal rhythm is off and choosing to reset with intention.
Because when you’re overwhelmed, moving too fast, or stuck in reactive mode, that energy filters through. Conversations get strained. Trust thins. The team starts to move more cautiously — or not at all.
It’s rarely because the team is broken. Often, it’s because the leader hasn’t had space to reflect.
That’s where I start with many of my clients. Not with a new playbook — but with a pause.
Here are a few reflection points I often use with leaders:
Where do you feel tension that you haven’t named yet?
What’s draining your focus or pulling you off course?
If you had 10% more clarity right now, what would shift?
These aren’t soft questions. They’re strategic.
Because how you lead starts with how you show up.
When a leader slows down to re-align with their values, purpose, and capacity, the impact echoes outward.
Suddenly, what felt foggy gets clearer.
What felt urgent loses intensity.
The team regains traction — not because they were “fixed,” but because the leader showed up with more presence and intention.
Leadership flow isn’t about perfection. It’s about staying connected — to yourself, your values, and the people around you.
So if your team feels stuck, start by asking:
What kind of energy am I bringing into the room?
What clarity have I been avoiding in myself?
The most effective reset might not happen in your next team meeting or company retreat — it might happen in your next intentional pause.
Start with yourself. Flow follows.
Liv Olson is an executive coach and facilitator specializing in team effectiveness. She partners with financial services leaders and their teams to strengthen clarity, confidence, and collaboration.