A leadership confession: what my body taught me

I had been on back-to-back deployments and landed in Bangkok for a workshop. For me, it was the doorway to a long-awaited rest week with family.

Halfway through, news broke of an earthquake in Indonesia.
I was asked to deploy as deputy team leader.

Already running on fumes, I could feel the tension in my body. My body was saying, “Uh oh, can you really do this? How much longer do I need to hang on?” But I was told there was no one else who could go as quickly. So I said yes.

I flew to Singapore to repack, rushing to pick up my long-awaited contact lenses before the flight. In the carpark, looking for my mum, something small tipped me over. My chest tightened, I could only take short breaths, and tears streamed down my face.

When I found her, I saw the worry in her eyes. But she brought calm and warmth to me, helping me slow my breathing.

Later at home, we spoke honestly about how I was feeling and whether I should go. Speaking openly lifted some of the weight I had been carrying. I had bottled it up, and the release was what I needed.

Hours later, I was typing the last words of a donor proposal while walking down the aisle to my seat. Wheels up, and I thought, “Linda, what are you doing to yourself!”

Two things became clear.

1. I was going to have to dig deep.

2. I was going to look after myself more intentionally if I wanted to show up well for my team.

That experience stayed with me. I learned that noticing my body — the knot in my stomach, the short breath, the bottled-up emotions — was not a weakness. It was data. Raising my self-awareness in that moment steadied me enough to look up, refocus, and notice my team more clearly: what they were battling through and what they needed from me as their leader.

For you

You don’t need to be on the way to a disaster zone to know this feeling. It might be an interview that feels make or break, a restructure that shakes your confidence, or the silence of not knowing what’s next.

Here’s the key: self-awareness lets you steady yourself so you can turn your attention outward. In an interview, that’s the difference between telling a story about how you coped, and showing how you tuned in and supported others.

Invitation

Bring your stories and experiences to the Talent Bridge workshop <click here>. Together, we will practice turning them into clear, confident language you can use in interviews, networking, and new roles.

Reflection prompt

Think of a time when you steadied yourself under pressure.

• What shifted once you raised your awareness?

• How did that help you notice and respond to others’ needs?

With you,

Linda
Founder of Touching Distance