Saluti da Firenze!
I’m in Italy this week to attend and speak at the Monash University Global Leaders Summit—my alma mater. The title of my session: Leading in a World Demanding Change.
As distinguished alumni gathered from across the globe (we Aussies are known for spreading ourselves far and wide!), the conversations turned to a pressing question: how do we become the leaders—and people—the world most needs right now?
In my session, I explored how we can (and must) intentionally evolve to meet the pressures and possibilities of this moment—not by racing faster to control the uncontrollables, but by expanding our capacity to stay fully present within it.
- To make wiser, values aligned, decisions amid ambiguity.
- To respond—not react—to a world moving at warp speed.
- To close the gap between what we’re doing and what we need to be doing to help shape a stronger, more sustainable future in which humanity thrives more, not less.
Because let’s face it: the technology shaping our lives is advancing at a pace our brains—still wired for survival on the plains of Africa 60,000 years ago—struggle to keep up with. The real work isn’t keeping pace with the machines. It’s upgrading the quality of our attention… and our capacity for courageous, thoughtful action in a world that’s only getting noisier, messier, and faster.
Amid the waves of disruption that leave many feeling anxious and overwhelmed, life is issuing each of a silent invitation to learn how to surf the waves of possibility —and use it them a catalyst to transform ourselves, and the organizations and systems we are part of, toward a better future.
Because in a culture that glorifies urgency, choosing presence has become a radical—and deeply human—act of leadership. And living.
Many high achieving people I speaking to have shared the pressure they feel under an urelenting expectation to deliver, perform, show up ‘all together’ and stay ahead of the AI revolution. All the while the ground beneath them keeps shifting, their mental maps feel increasingly obsolete and headlines trigger a raft of emotions—anxiety, insecurity, disconnection, hopelessness, inadequacy and sometimes even tempt them to despair or rage.
It’s a lot.
Little wonder the pressure to rise above it all—to be a force for good and agent for change—can feel as daunting as it does impossible.
Which is why I believe it’s so incredibly important right now to press pause on our industrious ‘doing’ and consider that meeting this moment isn’t about spinning plates faster or improving our juggling skills to keep more balls airborne at once. Rather, it’s about growing our capacity to stay present amid the mess of it all, to reset our relationship with our uncertainties and to discern which balls need laying down.
Last night at dinner high in the Tuscan hills, I soaked in the majesty of the sun setting over the stunning landscape. It provided a moment of awe and wonder and helped me get present to the pressure I’ve put on myself to do more and the overwhelm that’s created in me. As someone wired for action, taking a break from ‘doing’ doesn’t always come naturally. Pressing pause can trigger a deep irrational fear of being left behind.
Yet I’m slowly coming to appreciate that often the bravest decision we can make is not to take a bold leap forward but not to leap at all. To resist the urge to rush; to prioritize presence over performance; questions over answers; being over doing; to put my ‘to list’ aside and to prioritize my ‘to be’ list.
In times of stress, we regress.
The truth is, we’re living through a time of enormous complexity and change. And when things feel overwhelming, it’s easy to crave certainty. To want clear answers. To make fast decisions just to lighten the load. But that’s often when we most need to slow down. As Ken Wilber said, “in times of stress, we regress.” Our broader perspective gives way to tribal thinking. Our tolerance for nuance shrinks. We cling to simplicity—not because it’s true, but because it feels safe.
And yet, the answers that will serve us best—individually, collectively—don’t come from collapsing complexity. They emerge from being able to hold it with greater courage and curiosity. From creating space to feel what we’d rather avoid. From letting go of needing to have it all figured out and embracing our humanity in a digital world racing steadily forward.
Earlier this year, I shared this video about how “boats don’t sink because of the water around them, but because of the water that gets in.”
That piece of my dad’s wisdom has never felt more relevant. Because the noise, negativity, and chaos going on all around us every single down is not going away. Yet we are not powerless in our ability to choose – and rechoose – how much of it we allow to seep into us and overtake our lives. It may not be easy, but we humans also come hardwired with the ability to adapt, to learn and to steady ourselves amid many storms blowing around us.
Learning to close the ‘courage gap’ that fear widens in times of uncertainty (and yes, a shameless plug for my book!) is the invitation I offered to my fellow leaders and change agents here in Italy. Not just the challenge of leading others, but the challenge of leading ourselves. Of showing up more bravely – not by bracing harder, but by breathing deeper. Of innovating not from urgency, but from alignment with a purpose that transcends our need to avoid discomfort. Of building not just what’s needed now, but what’s worthy of tomorrow.
And none of that happens when our energy is consumed by controlling, proving, perfecting and (trying) to spin more plates faster. It happens in the space we create when we decide prioritize presence over performance; purpose over proving. This doesn’t deny competitive realities. Rather it elevates our perspective to see with new eyes, ideate beyond existing paradigms and navigate from values, not from fear. A quote by Einstein that I shared yesterday:
We cannot solve our problems at the same level of thinking at which they were created.
So if you’re feeling stretched right now, pulled to do more, or struggling to hold it all together—maybe the most courageous thing you can do is… less.
To resist the urge to do more and give yourself permission to take ‘time out’.
To breath in courage, and breath out fear.
To make space for the deeper wisdom and insight that only stillness can bring.
Because sometimes the real work isn’t in what you should do next but to sit with what is present right now. Because in that space of connecting to this moment, you unlock your creativity and expand your capacity to take better and braver action to shape what is coming next.
If you’d lie some inspiration and encouragement to help you navigate your bravest path, please check out my book The Courage Gap: Five Steps to Braver Action (also narrated by yours truly on Audible).
And if you’re a podcast fan, take a listen to my Live Brave podcast!
