The Mother of All Leadership Tools

At the start of a new week, most leaders´attention goes outward—towards priorities, meetings, and the challenges ahead. It’s where our work naturally pulls us.

But what if preparation didn’t start there?

What if it started somewhere far more fundamental—and always within reach?

Recently, I joined a breathing workshop at Yogasite in Breda. Walking out, I was reminded of something very simple, yet surprisingly easy to overlook: the breath may be one of the most fundamental tools we have for leading ourselves.

That might sound almost too obvious. After all, breathing is automatic. It’s always there. And yet, that is precisely the point—we rarely pay attention to it, especially when it matters most.

When we are at ease, the breath flows naturally. There is nothing to manage. But under pressure, something shifts. We begin to hold it, shorten it, or breathe more shallowly without even noticing. In those moments, we are not just changing our breathing—we are also changing our state.

And that has consequences.

Because how we breathe influences how we think, how we feel, and ultimately how we respond. When the breath becomes restricted, so does our access to presence, clarity, and perspective. We are more likely to react quickly, rather than respond with intention.

Viktor Frankl captured this beautifully when he described the space between stimulus and response as the place where our freedom lies. Many leaders understand this idea conceptually. The challenge is accessing that space in the moments—when tension rises, when something triggers us, or when the stakes are high.

This is where the breath becomes relevant in a very practical way.

Conscious breathing helps regulate the nervous system. More importantly, it creates a pause. And within that pause, something shifts: we regain a degree of choice in how we show up.

This doesn’t require complex techniques. In fact, it works best when it remains simple.

A useful way to experience this is through what is sometimes called the “physiological sigh”: a slightly deeper inhale through the nose, followed by a second, shorter inhale, and then a slow, extended exhale through the mouth.

Repeating this a few times is often enough to settle the body and bring back a sense of focus.

It’s subtle. No one else will notice. But the effect is tangible.

Leadership is often described in terms of direction, decision-making, and influence. All of that matters. But underneath it sits something more fundamental: the state from which we lead.

And that state is not fixed. It can be influenced—often more quickly than we realise.

The breath is one of the simplest ways to do so.

In a world that tends to favour complexity, this may feel almost too straightforward. Yet some of the most powerful shifts begin with small, accessible changes.

Before we lead others, we lead ourselves.

And sometimes, that begins with something as simple as being aware of our breath.

Warmly,

Christel

P.S. If you’ve been moving from one meeting to the next and need a moment of clarity and calm, try this:
close your right nostril and breathe slowly through your left for 30–60 seconds. Notice what shifts.