Hi there,

There's no video this week, as I've been on holiday with my lovely family, and life has been busy since I have come back. But I wanted to share something with you, a story that might feel familiar if you've ever found yourself questioning your direction or wondering what comes next in your leadership journey.

There I was, kneeling in the mud of our newly landscaped garden in Lincolnshire, trying to fill empty flower beds and wondering what on earth I was doing with my life. Six months earlier I'd had a clear identity: corporate leader, strategic consultant, someone who got things done.

And now? I was ‘under-employed’, uninspired, and honestly, a bit lost.

The move from London after my corporate days had been meant to be a fresh start. We were renovating our third house (I have a big interest in interiors), but despite having all this creative energy, I lacked direction. I was missing the achievement and influence of corporate life, and the realisation was dawning on me: I was never going to have that identity again.

That's when I was chatting with our landscape gardener and he said something that changed my perspective: "Helen, you have to remember that gardening is a journey, not a destination."

I was in destination mode, desperate to make the garden look amazing immediately. I was also in destination mode in my career, with an out of date destination.

But as I spent hours out there, listening to loads of podcasts and audiobooks mainly on business and leadership, while working on those empty beds, something changed. A little seedling of an idea started growing: I know this leadership stuff, and I could help people understand it better.

To be honest I spent the next two years bashing around and getting things wrong with my business. The YouTube idea lingered for ages because I just didn't think I'd have the guts to do it. But gradually, I started learning about the creator economy and thinking maybe this was a different way to build my leadership influence.

It's taken a couple of years to get clear about my goals and what I'm doing. But this whole journey has taught me something fundamental: leadership, like gardening, is about the journey, not the destination.

Most leaders and managers are also in destination mode, despite the fact that when they hit one goal, another promptly takes its place. Too few give themselves time to stop, think, and recharge so they can be their best selves as leaders on this journey.

I’ve learned over the years is that everyone can lead. It's not about changing yourself, it's about harnessing your strengths and watching out and adjusting for those things that don't serve you well. But you'll only do that if you spend consistent time (and it's only a bit) thinking and getting ahead. Being stimulated by ideas and thinking, "Oh, I'll try that out."

If you're reading this and feeling a bit stuck, whether in your role, your leadership journey, or wondering what's next, know that this ‘messy middle’ is normal. It's where the real growth happens, and it is all part of the journey.

You don't need to have it all figured out. You just need to be willing to start where you are and keep planting seeds.

But, and it’s a big but, you need to give yourself permission to think. Not the half-thinking you do in the car or shower. Real thinking needs calm, space, and structure.

Most of the time I think we are in reactive, urgent mode, responding to emails, putting out fires, making quick decisions and managing our immediate to do list. This is necessary, but it can't be all your time.

We have to find time to slow down. This is your strategic, leadership thinking, the space where you step back, see patterns, make connections, and plan your next moves. This is where brilliant leadership happens.

Most managers feel guilty about time to think and plan, like it's a luxury they'll get to once everything else is done. But this slow time isn't time away from the work, it's how you lead the work.

When you protect space to think clearly, you lead with more intention. You spot opportunities before they become crises. You better develop your team instead of just managing tasks.

Here's your challenge this week: Block out just 30 minutes of slow time. No emails, no interruptions.

Ask yourself: What's working? What isn't? What patterns am I seeing? What one thing could I change that would make the biggest difference?

That's all it takes to start.

I’ll be back with a video next week. Have a good one,

Helen

P.S. If you want practical tools to help you create more slow time and think like a strategic leader, check out my Manager OS Course that shows you exactly how to set up systems that give you breathing room in your busy week. It's helped many managers move from reactive to strategic and it starts with giving yourself permission to think.

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