The Most Powerful Leaders Know When to Pause
- Marcy Stoudt
- Apr 19
- 3 min read
Years ago, I believed that leadership meant moving fast—solving problems before they escalated, answering emails the moment they hit my inbox, and filling every second of my calendar to prove my value. Speed was my superpower. Or at least, I thought it was.
Then one day, after a particularly overwhelming stretch, I had a moment of clarity.
I wasn’t leading—I was reacting.
My team wasn’t thriving under my rapid pace; they were just trying to keep up. And I realized something that changed everything: The most powerful leaders aren’t the ones who move the fastest—they’re the ones who know when to pause.
What Slowing Down Looks Like in Leadership
Imagine yourself at your best. What does it look like when you’re fully present? Maybe you take a deep breath before responding in a meeting. Maybe you listen without the urge to immediately fix. Maybe you walk into a room with the kind of quiet confidence that makes people feel safe.
Slowing down in leadership isn’t about doing less—it’s about being more intentional, clear, and effective. When you operate ABOVE CENTER®:
Your peers see you as composed and strategic.
Your team feels heard, empowered, and supported.
Your company benefits from a culture that values clarity over chaos.
Yet, despite knowing this, we often let urgency pull us away from our best leadership state.
What Pulls You Below Center?
We all have triggers—things that snap us out of our calm, intentional presence and into reactive, Below Center behavior. Maybe it’s a looming deadline, a tough conversation, or an overflowing inbox. Maybe it’s something as simple as a negative thought spiraling in your mind.
Think about a time when you were completely overwhelmed. Maybe you rushed through decisions, snapped at someone who didn’t deserve it, or sent an email you later regretted. If someone had spoken to you right before that moment, they might have described you as composed and confident. But how would they describe you after?
The Contrast of ABOVE CENTER® vs. Below Center Leadership
Over the years, I’ve seen this pattern in myself and in the leaders I coach. When we operate ABOVE CENTER®, people experience us as grounded, thoughtful, and inspiring. When we’re Below Center, we become rushed, reactive, and unpredictable.
ABOVE CENTER® Leadership ✅ | Below Center Leadership ❌ |
Calm and present | Rushed and impatient |
Thoughtful and intentional | Thoughtful and intentional |
Listens actively | Interrupts or dismisses input |
Speaks clearly and confidently | Lets stress dictate decisions |
Makes others feel heard | Creates tension instead of trust |
Delegates effectively | Micromanages |
Which leader would you rather work for? Which leader would you rather be?
The Power of the Pause
The shift from Below Center to ABOVE CENTER® isn’t about significant overhauls—it’s about small, intentional choices. One of the simplest, most effective tools I’ve adopted is the pause.
Before reacting, before responding, before making a major decision—pause. Take three deep breaths. Give yourself space to reset.
It sounds simple, but it’s incredibly powerful. Slowing down doesn’t mean you’re less effective; it means you’re leading with clarity instead of chaos. And that’s where the real power lies.
Your Leadership Challenge
For the next 24 hours, challenge yourself to notice when urgency tries to take over. Pause. Breathe. Reset. See how it shifts your presence, your clarity, and the way others experience your leadership.
Because at the end of the day, the most influential leaders aren’t the ones who do the most. They’re the ones who lead with intention, presence, and purpose.
Let’s lead better—by slowing down and choosing ABOVE CENTER®.
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Marcy Stoudt is a seasoned sales leader dedicated to shaping the future of talent acquisition and executive coaching. As the founder of Revel Search and Revel Coach, Marcy collaborates with corporate clients to develop innovative strategies for attracting, advancing, and retaining top-tier talent.
During her 22 years at Allegis Group, Marcy was TEKsystems's first female Vice President. She led a team of 300 producers and delivered four consecutive years of revenue results at 18% CAGR, averaging $320 million annually. While at MarketSource, she established the Customer Experience Strategy for the Target Mobile outsourced sales team at 1,540 Target locations, fostering executive-level relationships with Target and Apple.
The Revel Coach™ Blog is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not mental health, financial, business or legal advice. The information presented here is not intended to diagnose, treat, heal, cure or prevent any medical, mental or emotional condition. The information presented here is not a guarantee that you will obtain any results or earn any money using our content.
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