The Leadership Skill Most Ignored: Why Slowing Down Might Be Your Superpower
- Liza Engel
- Jul 27
- 3 min read
There was a time when I’d work right through the journey to my holiday destination—head down, laptop open, missing the quiet magic of transition. Even while away, a calm guilt followed me, whispering that if I wasn’t working, I was somehow falling behind.
Fast forward to today—I don’t do that anymore. And here’s the twist: I’d dare say I’m more productive and impactful than ever. My team is growing and thriving. My ideas are sharper. I’m not just leading better and being a stronger role model. I’m living better—in all my roles.
So what changed?
Slow Is Not Lazy. It’s Leadership.
As mentioned in a previous post, covering efficiency and deep work, on my summer reading list was Cal Newport’s Slow Productivity. Reading this book felt less like a discovery and more like a confirmation. Ten years ago, it would’ve surprised me. Today, it validated what I’ve come to know through experience:
Your best leadership doesn’t come from urgency—it comes from clarity. And clarity begins when you zoom out, before you zoom in and take action.
Newport offers three deceptively simple principles:
Do fewer things.
Work at a natural pace.
Obsess over quality.
Does it sound countercultural? It is, especially in the professional world, where volume often masquerades as value.
But here’s the truth: hustle has an expiry date. Depth doesn’t.
How I Learned This the Hard Way
Years ago, I told my team, “Do as I say, not as I do.” I was talking about my late-night and weekend emails. I said it jokingly, half-aware I wasn’t modeling the behavior I wanted from them, but thinking I was doing the right thing as a young mom of three.
Then someone—brave and kind—said to me, “I understand why you say this, but it still puts pressure on all of us to be like you.”
Ouch. She was right.
Leadership isn’t a presentation or a performance. It’s what people see when they watch you live your values. And people are always watching.
From that moment on, I started making fundamental changes. I let go of “perfection,” “always on,” and the myth that “more is better.” I made space for deeper work. I started living the advice I give to others.
And slowly, everything improved—my ideas, energy, team confidence, and ability to make meaningful decisions. I was finding my flow, more often and deeply than ever before.
Why Fast Productivity is a Short-Term Game
Quick wins feel good. They’re addictive. But they rarely build legacy.
If you’re leading a team, launching ideas, or influencing change, you’re playing the long game. That means your calendar can’t always be full. Your mind can’t always be sprinting.
You can’t lead well if you’re always reacting. Strategy needs space—and a well-nourished mind.
How to Lead with Slow Productivity
Here are four ways to apply Slow Productivity in your leadership starting now:
1. Audit your “musts”
Ask yourself: What would I still do if I only had half the hours next week? That reveals your essentials. The rest is optional.
2. Protect thinking time like an critical meeting
Block it in your calendar. Strategic thinking needs mental white space—and space doesn’t protect itself.
3. Model it for others
Take lunch away from your desk. Block a no-meeting afternoon. Try a pilot: cancel regular 30-minute check-ins and let your team know you’re available during open office hours each week. (I’ll be testing this after the summer holidays.)
Celebrate quality, not just speed. Your team follows what you do more than what you say.
4. Replace guilt with trust
When you slow down, you’re trusting your future self to show up with brilliance—not burnout. That’s not laziness. That’s leadership.
If this all feels too radical, start with a one-month pilot. Test it, then pause, reflect, and evaluate the change it created.
Reflective Questions
What if your next leadership level came not from doing more but going deeper?
Are your best ideas getting the space they deserve—or are they being rushed?
If your team copied your schedule and habits, would they be better or busier?
Slowness isn’t the opposite of success—it’s the birthplace of wisdom.
If we want to lead with presence, clarity, and connection, we must unhook from the myth that fast is always better. The real leaders? They’re the ones who dare to pause.
Challenge yourself:
Cancel one non-essential meeting. Go for a thinking walk, an outdoor swim or even a sauna. Ask yourself—not what’s urgent, but what’s important.
Because leadership isn’t just what you do.
It’s how you are while you’re doing it.
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