How to Find Your Still Point in Turbulent Moments?
A Neuroscience-Based Path to Leadership Clarity When Everything Is Chaos
"I need to make critical decisions daily that affect hundreds of people and our planet's future, but I can barely hear myself think through all the noise and pressure."
This is the life of so many purpose-driven leaders I work with They are talking about the state of their inner world and how difficult it is to stay not only composed but also effective under pressure. And to show up in a way they feel satisfied with and don’t later regret.
They are in tough conditions getting tougher (we would not be exaggerating to call them impossibly hard) and an inner state that is messy, stressed and approaching fragile.
They're navigating unprecedented complexity—environmental emergencies, political volatility, organisational transformation, mounting pressures, difficult conversations—all while trying to maintain clarity and presence. This has been amply documented. The world is indeed chaotic (it is not just in your head).
The challenge isn't just external. When we operate continuously in crisis mode, we reshape our neural architecture in ways that diminish our leadership capacity. Neuroplasticity can work against us if we are chronically stretched and don’t know how to bring ourselves back to a regulated state in which our nervous system has switched off the stress response.
However, we absolutely can counter these effects. And it's becoming increasingly urgent that we do so, not just for your work but also for your wellbeing.
If we are to stand against the forces that threaten to slow progress toward the beautiful, peaceful, and fair world many of us envision and work toward— and we will— then we must find ways to stay resilient and grounded, to have a clear mind with an open heart, to connect and to collaborate in the most effective of ways.
The Neuroscience of Sustainable Leadership
A stressed out brain is not a collaborative or clear-thinking brain. Read that again. You may think you are alright, but I urge you to feel more and look deeper.
A chronically stressed out brain is a brain working well below its potential, making decisions from a survival mode. This is why losing our cool or retreating feel easier in those hard moments.
An increasing body of research shows that sustained stress without adequate restoration creates significant changes in our brain. These changes transform how we lead. We become more reactive, less creative, and less able to connect authentically with others.
First, the prefrontal cortex, the region responsible for executive function, emotional regulation, and nuanced decision-making shows reduced activity when we're chronically stressed. Your working memory suffers, your cognitive flexibility and focus suffer.
Second, the amygdala, our brain's threat detection center, becomes more reactive, which is worrying. As it becomes more sensitive, it creates heightened stress responses to even minor challenges. With it, you are much less in control, and more at the mercy of survival-type reactivity, and the kinds of reactions you later regret. When your amygdala is overactive and your prefrontal cortex underactive, you lose the natural regulatory balance that helps you stay in control of your responses. You are run by other forces like your past habits or survival responses that are more automatic and are less considered.
Lastly, the default mode network, which supports self-awareness, empathy, and creative thinking, becomes disrupted and less integrated. With this disruption comes a spiralling cascade of inner chatter that pervades your thinking.
Remember that your nervous system is composed of your brain, spinal cord and all the nerves throughout your body. Your intelligence is truly embodied. We call It “embodied cognition” in neuroscience.
We forget that we have a body when we are in leadership mode.
When there is threat, your entire body is affected. Chronic elevated stress hormones (which begin with amygdala signalling) significantly increase your risk of developing serious health conditions. These effects are compounded by disrupted sleep, which further impairs clear thinking, self-control, working memory, and your ability to consolidate memories. You get into a pretty hard-to-break cycle, where no matter how hard you try, you cannot show up as calm and clear.
If this sounds alarming, it's because it is!
We're experiencing what I would call a pandemic of leadership stress and burnout.
There is a mismatch between what the world is demanding of leaders, and their level of mastery. Not of the tactical type skills, they excel at those. But of the soft type skills, the human side of business.
I find that most leaders feel “inept” (their words) and insufficient when it comes to navigating their mounting challenges in line with their deep values of care and empathy while maintaining and in reality, increasing, their leadership effectiveness to meet the world we live in.
But don’t think there is anything wrong with you. From my researcher point of view, it is highly adaptive to be stressed out and hyper alert at present given the world we have.
However, this lack of mastery has a great cost to you and to your effectiveness, and thus the change you will manage to create.
To counter this, we must go inward and build a solid toolkit that allows us to soothe our nervous system, so that our brain and body can restore their balance and we can respond consciously when external conditions become turbulent, toxic or seemingly impossible.
The leadership presence we aspire to—that capacity to remain clear, connected, and courageous amid chaos—becomes increasingly elusive. And increasingly necessary in the times we're facing, and the mounting complexity an difficulty we know is coming.
You need both moment to moment, daily regeneration that brings you back to a calm inner state, as well as regular larger periods that help you reset your nervous system to what is called balanced engagement.
How Do You Find Your Still Point?
Have you noticed that some leaders maintain remarkable effectiveness even in the most challenging circumstances?
What's their secret?
They've discovered what I call the "still point"—a place of internal stability from which they can respond to external turbulence with both wisdom and heart.
This isn't mystical at all—it's neurological. Through specific practices that regulate the nervous system, these leaders maintain access to their prefrontal cortex even under pressure. They develop what neuroscience calls "interoception"—the ability to notice and respond to internal signals before they become overwhelming.
And from this increased awareness that comes through practicing presence and self-reflection, they can create what Dr. Daniel Siegel has called “neuroception of safety”, the deep sense that you are safe in this moment, which leads to nervous system regulation and being able to act and speak from that sturdy sense of inner balance—regardless of what the world throws at you in that moment.
Elena, a social founder I coach, transformed her approach when she realised she was getting in her own way. "I used to think I had to be tough and bear it. But that means I wasn't letting myself feel anything and those feelings would only bottle up and I would explode or crash at times I least expected.
Now I know how to take care of myself and I can operate from a calmer mode, not repressing what I feel but having extra clarity. I have access to both analytical thinking which was my only MO before, with more creative thinking. I have a calm presence that wasn’t available to me before."
Of course, there is no one way to bring yourself to calm- which is great news. You just need to find one strategy that works for you consistently in this stage. For many people breathing or what is not called “breath work” is effective. There are biological reasons for this, of course. The things you do offline are key, like sleeping enough, not over-caffeinating, eating healthily and exercising regularly. Again, the science is unequivocal on this (a story for another day).
Mindfulness practices are an evidence-based way to know you are building that reservoir of inner calm to draw on when it gets tough on the outside, as well as strengthening the muscle of directing your attention inwards to find a state of groundedness.
If you want some support to get yourself a solid practice of mindfulness and develop inner calm and resilience, my new meditation series supports you through a month of guided practice.
Leader's Corner: From Tension to Transformation
"After studying with Nati I've been called a Jedi Knight," shared Anna, a sustainability executive who was struggling with team dynamics. Where she once dreaded conflict and difficult conversations, she now approaches them with remarkable calm. And effectiveness.
"Now that I'm calmer, I can magic up balance in moments that used to feel impossible. I can mediate difficult conversations and meetings and dissolve conflicts in the moment."
What previously took hours of draining team time and depleted everyone's energy now transforms quickly into solution-focused dialogue.
Her team has noticed the difference too—they bring challenges forward earlier, speak more honestly, and collaborate more effectively.
In fact, the other members of the leadership team not only noticed, they would jokingly call on her “Jedi knight powers” to disentangle tricky dynamics.
To me, the most striking change has been in how Anna experiences her work. "Instead of dreading those tough moments, I now see them as opportunities to create deeper understanding and I lean into them. Before, I would avoid all conflict, now I embrace it. I'm more effective while feeling so much better in my role."
Powerful.
One Practice for Sustainable Leadership
Let’s get practical.
So what can you do in the moment when you are stressed or overwhelmed?
Here is one practice that has been proven to calm you pretty instantly and bring your clarity and calm back on board:
The 5-4-3-2-1 Sensory Grounding Technique
When feeling overwhelmed during your day:
Notice 5 things you can see
Acknowledge 4 things you can touch
Listen for 3 sounds around you
Identify 2 scents you can smell
Notice 1 taste
This sensory grounding technique pulls you out of anxious future thinking and back into the present moment. It works by pushing your brain to be aware of the here and now, and away from rumination and focus on future or past. This is very soothing and changes brain firing and your body's responses.
Add a few conscious breaths afterward, noticing all the ways in which you are actually alright in this moment.
For added regulation: Name these things as you sense them. (blue, sweet…) Engaging your language networks has been shown to deactivate the amygdala, and to regulate your emotions.
A director I work with uses this between meetings and shares that it "creates a clean slate for each new conversation. I feel calmer and more focused, much more present to then listen and see patterns and solutions."
Building Your Leadership Presence Practice
Mindfulness, inner practices that promote self-connection form the foundation of sustainable leadership presence—the capacity to maintain clarity and connection amid complexity or chaos.
I'm excited to announce two new resources to support your journey that I have coming up:
The Empathic Leader Course: Starting May 30th, this 4-month journey helps purpose-driven leaders integrate neuroscience with emotional intelligence to lead with both wisdom and heart. Join our free taster session on May 22nd to experience this work first hand and leave with some tangible and powerful empathic listening skills that you can use immediately.
Leadership Presence Meditations: My first collection of guided practices specifically designed for leadership challenges—from preparing for difficult conversations to reconnecting with purpose when feeling depleted. Part of my Inner Clarity Mindfulness Collection.
I’m excited to announce that the first series is now available!
When the World Feels Overwhelming: A month-long journey of meditations and mindful practices to help you stay grounded and centred—available now for just £29.
The world needs you to show up with what I call leadership presence now more than ever—not the depleted, reactive version of you, but your full capacity for wisdom, courage, calm and compassion. The world needs you to be healthy, balanced, clear thinking and emotionally regulated.
The beauty is that those are the very things that are good for you and make for a wonderful life, all the while you are being more effective in creating the change you are passionate about.
You do not need to sacrifice your life and wellbeing for your cause. You can learn to lead in a way that is good for the world and good for you.
By developing your still point through these practices, you're not just becoming a more effective leader. You're modelling the integration of excellence and wellbeing that our organisations and world so desperately need.
I am on that journey and can attest to it being the most beautiful and fulfilling journey.
With presence and possibility,
Nati
PS: What leadership challenge would you most like support with through meditation or deeper practices? I read and respond to every message.
About Nati
I help purpose-driven leaders transform their inner sensitivity into strength through integrating neuroscience with emotional intelligence. My approach guides leaders to maintain presence under pressure, transform difficult conversations into opportunities for connection, and create cultures where both innovation and wellbeing flourish.
With a background in neuroscience from University College London and certification in executive coaching and Nonviolent Communication, I've developed a unique methodology that addresses both the scientific foundations of leadership presence and its practical application. Through executive coaching, The Empathic Leader course, and mindfulness practices specifically designed for leadership challenges, I support visionary leaders who are creating positive change in sustainability, technology, and social impact.
My own journey from communication struggles to leadership clarity informs everything I do. I've walked this path myself and now dedicate my work to helping other purpose-driven leaders discover how their sensitivity can become their greatest strength when supported by practices that enhance sustainable presence.