Oscillating with Intention: The Silent Skill Every Leader Needs.
Working hard isn't enough. Nor is thinking well enough. The real challenge lies in knowing where you should operate from each day .
Sometimes you have to get down to the nitty-gritty, solve problems, and correct details that shouldn't depend on you, but do. Other times you have to disconnect from the noise, see the big picture, and make decisions without being tainted by the urgency.
The problem arises when the leader doesn't know how to switch gears . When they spend the entire month putting out fires without pausing to reflect. Or when they get stuck on the strategic aspects and lose touch with what's really happening.
What ultimately leads to exhaustion isn't the volume of work. It's the lack of conscious shifting : knowing when to focus deeply and when to broaden your perspective. And doing so intentionally, not out of habit.
McKinsey & Company defines it as a critical practice in high-pressure environments: the most effective leaders are those who design their week to move between levels of decision-making. They don't improvise their approach. They structure it.
Because when you don't structure your mental energy, your environment fragments it. And there is no clarity without focus. There is no direction without distance. There is no leadership if you don't know when to observe closely and when to look back to see more clearly.
The important thing isn't being involved in everything . It's knowing where you're thinking today, and why. Wavering isn't a weakness.
