Time for a guided visualization exercise: How to be a calm, centered people leader. Because let’s be honest—leading people is meaningful work… and it can also be emotionally demanding. You’re holding space for others, making decisions, navigating change, managing expectations, and trying to do it all with empathy and integrity.

This episode is for the moments when you want to lead with clarity instead of reactivity. With presence instead of pressure. With calm confidence instead of overwhelm. This is about learning how to center yourself first, so you can show up as the steady, grounded leader your people need.

So, how does it work? Simple! Let my voice be a guide for you as you focus inward to help you tap into your inner wisdom and Intuition for answers.

Listen and participate in this guided visualization exercise: How to be a calm, centered people leader.

Before we get started, here are a few things that you’ll need to do in order to get the most out of this.

1. Create a safe space - no distractions or interruptions

First off, you’ll need to create a safe space where you won’t be distracted or interrupted… and also, keep in mind that during this exercise, you’ll have your eyes closed. So yeah, probably not best to do this one while driving.

Silence your phone notifications… The world can wait for the next few minutes.

Then, get comfortable in a seated position or lying down, if that feels better. You get to decide. As with all visualization and breathing exercises we do together this year, you always get to decide what is best for you… take what you need and release the rest.

Okay, now close your eyes or avert your gaze to the ground.

2. Take 3 intentional breaths together with me

Let’s take three intentional, life-affirming breaths.

• Deep breath in through the nose, expand the belly, hold at the top, and then slowly release through the mouth. (Do this three times.)

Now, let your breathing come back to a normal pace, whatever feels right for you.

3. Do a body scan and feel your feet

It’s time to do a body scan…  Imagine you’re slowly scanning your body from the top of your head… down past your shoulders…Through your arms… to your fingertips… All the way down your torso, hips, legs, and toes.

Notice any sensations — maybe tightness, softness, warmth, heaviness.
No judgment.
Nothing to fix.

Just noticing.

Once you’re at your feet, really take notice of what it feels like to have your feet make contact with the ground. To be firmly rooted down, the safety and security of that sensation. What do your feet feel like right now?

4. Time to visualize - How to be a calm, centered people leader.

I want you to imagine you’re watching a scene unfold at work.

You are not in the scene.
You are an observer.

Picture a manager stepping into a stressful situation.
There’s pressure. Deadlines. Competing priorities. A sense of urgency in the air.

Watch how this leader shows up.

They interrupt.
They speak quickly.
Their body is tense. Their tone is sharp.

They’re focused on fixing, not listening.
On speed, not understanding.
On control, not connection.

Notice what happens next.

The employee across from them shuts down… or pushes back.
Defensiveness creeps in.
Voices rise.
The real issue gets buried under frustration.

Watch how the conversation spirals.

Nothing is resolved.
Trust erodes.
The problem follows them both long after the meeting ends—showing up as disengagement, resentment, or quiet withdrawal.

Just notice this.
No judgment.
No shame.

This is what reactivity looks like when pressure takes the wheel.

Now, let that scene fade.

Breathe.

And now… watch the same situation again.

Same stress.
Same pressure.
Same competing demands.

But this time, the leader shows up differently.

They enter the conversation grounded.
Present.
Calm in their body.

Breathe.

They don’t rush.
They don’t interrupt.
They listen—fully.

Watch how they create a safe space simply by how they hold themselves.

Their tone is steady.
Their posture is open.
Their attention is undivided.

Breathe.

They ask thoughtful questions.
They reflect back what they hear.
They allow silence when it’s needed.

Notice how the employee responds.

They soften.
They open up.
They share what’s really going on—the blockers, the fears, the uncertainty.

Together, they slow the moment down.

Breathe.

They name the real issue.
They problem-solve collaboratively.
Not from blame… but from partnership.

Watch as they co-create a clear next step.

They agree on priorities.
They remove roadblocks that have been getting in the way.
They make a plan—and they make it together.

The leader doesn’t disappear after the meeting.

They commit to being an accountability partner in the weeks ahead.
They check in.
They follow through.

They protect focus, even while senior leadership pressure continues to swirl around them.

Breathe.

Notice what’s different now.

The employee feels supported.
Trusted.
Respected.

The leader remains calm, cool, collected—confident in their ability to hold complexity without becoming it.

This is emotional intelligence in action.

This is what grounded leadership looks like under pressure.

Breathe.

Take a moment to let this image settle.

Notice which version of leadership felt more powerful.
More effective.
More human.

And remember—this calm, centered approach is not something you have to earn.

It’s something you can choose.

Again and again.

Take this last moment to say thank you with your full spirit and remember that you can re-visit this gift any time you wish. It’s yours forever and ever. You are never alone and you are always fully supported.

Take a moment to gather yourself with a deep, belly-filling breath. And when you’re ready, open your eyes.

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So, how did that feel? What came up for you?

I want you to set a 7-minute timer, grab a pen and paper, and take this time to write down everything you remember from this visualization exercise.

• What wisdom was shared?
• What visual clues did you see?
• What did your higher self look like in the mirror?
• What part of this exercise is sticking MOST in your mind and in your heart, that you can’t seem to shake?
• …and what’s one thing that you can do today (with courage and simplicity) to take action on this vision, in real life?

One final whisper

Being a calm, centered people leader when it feels like utter chaos around you, is a skill to build over time; a muscle to train just like you’re in the gym.

It takes practice, repetition, and a solid belief that you can be that strong, steady leader in the eye of the storm.

I hope this visualization sticks with you the entire week through. Do it again and again if you need clarity or fresh ideas to help your spirit feel refreshed once again… because when you tap into your deep inner knowing, you’re accessing the deep inner wisdom.

That electric energy that can be found inside all of us that connects us all together. It knows. You know. We all know if we are brave and we open ourselves to it.

You can do this, I believe in you.

It’s time to SIMPLIFY.

If this thought of the day inspired you...

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As always, please reach out, especially if you’ve got specific ideas or questions that you’d like us to cover on the podcast. DM me on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesimplifiers) and let’s spark a conversation.

Thank you!

Show credits: Suzen Marie, our Podcast Editor and Jeffrey Lynn, our Video Editor. Plus, Aubri Williams, Chris Justice, and George Mills, our advisory board. And I’m your host, Mary Baird. Big love to Dennis Coleman, Kristen Kurtis, plus Mark and the team at Goodboy, as well as the folks in #TeamMary. Thank you so much for listening and telling your peeps about us.

As always friends, keep things simple.

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