Steady Leadership in Unsteady Times: Lead with Integrity and Calm

1 BIG IDEA
When the world feels restless and reactive, the most impactful leaders aren’t the loudest — they’re the steadiest. Steady leadership is calm authority in motion: rooted in values, guided by discernment, and expressed through integrity and compassion. Learn how to cultivate steadiness that restores trust, models courage, and invites others to do the same.

3 WAYS TO APPLY THIS

• Use the Recognize – Reflect – Respond rhythm to stay grounded and lead with integrity.
• Choose one Intentional Optimism tenet — Optimistic, Present, Energetic, Courageous, Wise, or Intentional — to practice this week.
• Share the “why” behind your steady action to invite others into calm, values-based leadership.

3 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

1. Where in my work, home, or community does uncertainty keep pulling me off balance?
2. Which Core Value or tenet of Intentional Optimism could guide me through that moment?
3. How can I lead with calm authority — and invite others to steady themselves beside me?

GO DEEPER
What Is Intentional Optimism? (Free Download): https://www.theintentionaloptimist.com/what-is-intentional-optimism 

Core Values Resources: Anchor your decisions in clarity, define what matters, and build steady, values-based confidence.
Blueprint (Free Download): https://www.theintentionaloptimist.com/corevaluesexercise
Course: https://www.theintentionaloptimist.com/core-values-beta
Coaching: https://www.theintentionaloptimist.com/core-values-beta

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Watch the keynotes and leadership lessons anytime through February 2026:
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PREFER YouTube?
Catch the full episode →https://youtu.be/9V9F52RHoiE 

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LET’S CONNECT
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Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:02

You're listening to Stand Hall and Own It, a podcast for high-performing female leaders who are ready to make an impact by discovering the safety that comes from understanding their own values and exercising their own authority. I'm your host, Andrea Johnson, and I'm here to tell you it is time to just truly be you, my strong friend. It's time to stand up and own it. You know, the world is feeling pretty restless right now. Every scroll, every meeting, every headline seems to carry this low hum of tension underneath it. And if you're really paying attention, I mean, if you're kind of leading with any sense of responsibility or care, you can feel it. That undercurrent of exhaustion, pressure, and noise, it just shows up everywhere in your team, your community, and honestly, in your own body. It's easy to feel like the only options are to either pull back and stay quiet, or charge in and make even more noise. And trust me, you know as well as I do that there are plenty of voices advocating for both of those options. Keep your head down, or why are you not speaking up? But neither is the kind of leadership we actually need right now. I believe what this moment calls for is steadiness. Not certainty by any means, but steadiness, the kind of calm authority that doesn't deny what's hard, but also doesn't hand the microphone over to fear. Steady leadership isn't self-containment, it's self-awareness. It's knowing when to pause, when to ask for help, and when to bring your presence, not your perfection, into the room. Welcome to Stand Tall and Own It. This is the podcast equipping purpose-driven leaders to show up with authenticity and courage. I'm Andrea Johnson, the intentional optimist, leadership consultant, educator, and coach. And in this episode today, we're exploring what it looks like to meet this moment, the moment that we're in right now, with discernment, integrity, and quiet strength. And I have said it once, if I've said it a thousand times, many of the episodes that I put out here are for myself. I have to do it first before I can lead you, before I can teach you. And I believe with all my heart that what leadership requires right now is not louder voices, it is steadier voices. And it is hard to be the steady voice. I'm gonna say it right here with you. I'm doing it with you. Because when you show up with steadiness, you make it easier for others to find theirs. When you can show up steady, other people say it's possible. So today we're talking about what it means to reclaim calm authority in a world that feels increasingly unstable and how to invite others in to do the same thing. As Martin Luther Martin Luther King Jr. said, the time is always right to do what is right. And I'd even add to that, the time's always right to do it well, as well as we can. But imperfect is okay. So take a deep breath with me and let's just step into this conversation together. And let's talk about what the leadership moment is that we are in right now actually looks like. As I record this in late October of 2025, the world just really feels heavy. The headlines change by the hour, and of course, I'm in the North American, I'm in the United States, right? So the headlines change literally by the hour, sometimes by the minute. The tone of conversation keeps shifting, and if you're paying attention, it's hard not to feel that weight in your own system. It's like the air itself is just charged. It's unpredictable, it's brittle, and it's really loud. It's like having this constant noise machine on. If you're like me and like everybody else, you're tired. Tired of waiting for stability that never seems to arrive, tired of trying to plan when the ground keeps moving, tired of the noise, the opinions, the outrage. But what do you do? The truth is too many of us are just reacting to that noise instead of responding to it. Hear the difference there. And we're not talking about just official leaders or public figures. I'm talking about all of us, you and me included. Parents, teachers, business owners, neighbors, friends. I have done it. I have caught myself reacting to the latest breaking news, only to realize an hour later that the story had completely changed or had been corrected or needed more context. Not that some of these headlines, you know, once you get the correction or the context, it doesn't make them any easier, but it's you know, it's like totally different from what I responded to. And there I was, completely depleted by something that didn't abs didn't even deserve that much of my energy. Energy that's already precious and limited. That's the moment we're in. A season where reactivity is easy, but restoration takes real intention. And that is where the invitation comes in. Not an invitation to ignore what's happening or to retreat from the hard conversations, but an invitation to become the steady voice in the room, to be the kind of presence that calms the temperature instead of raising it. To model what discernment, integrity, and empathy look like in real time. When you stay grounded, others can borrow your calm. You have any friends like that in your life? Family members, colleagues? When you lead with discernment, you model possibility. It could be you doing this instead of someone else. When you choose integrity, you remind people that ethics and empathy still belong at the table. They do. They still belong at the table. So when we choose integrity, it helps other people see that they do. That's the kind of invitation that we're extending this month to lead what matters together. Because steadiness multiplies when we practice it in community. Every intentional response repairs the fabric of trust and steadiness around you and invites others to do the same. That's the leadership moment we're in. Not one that rewards volume or certainty, but one that's quietly calling for presence, discernment, and courage. So if that's the moment we're in, what does steady leadership actually look like in practice? Well, it looks like living out the tenets of intentional optimism in real time. There are six of them: optimistic, present, energetic, courageous, wise, and intentional. Don't worry, you don't have to write them down. I have a free download that will walk you through them, but I'm going to walk through them today because it's been a while since we've truly walked through them together. So I'd like, I'd like to take a closer look through the lens of where we are. These are not just nice attitudes or personality traits, they are true invitations. Each one gives you a way to be the steady presence that others can anchor to and to invite them into steadiness with you. All right, so let's start with optimistic. What does that mean? Steady leaders see possibilities where others see problems. You ever been in a corner and you couldn't see any possibilities? That is 100% my thing. When I get completely stuck, I literally look around my friends and I say, I need to see some possibilities here, otherwise I'm gonna explode. Because guess what? Possibilities offer hope. And not and hope hope is not naive. Don't get me wrong here. This is not wishful thinking. Hope is strategic. It's not pretending that everything's fine, it's believing that good can still emerge, even from what's complex, frustrating, or disappointing. Hope in turn expands the boundaries of what's possible. Right? Possibilities give you hope. Hope then helps expand those boundaries, and it lifts your eyes above the immediate mess and reminds you that the future is still being written. It's not over. It's design, not denial. Meaning, optimism is an act of creative leadership. It's a deliberate choice to design solutions instead of denying reality. So when people ask me, like I've shared that in 2024, I went on, I think it was upwards of 150 podcast episodes. And they're like, tell me how this isn't toxic optimism or toxic positivity. I'm like, well, for starters, it said intentional. It's intentional optimism. But it's how you bring light into a room without ignoring the shadows. We're not denying reality. But optimism engineers possibility. So that's the first one. Next, we have present. You can't offer steadiness if you're disconnected. I mean, that's just a simple duh, right? If you're disconnected from something, you're not going to be able to offer any steadiness. Presence means showing up fully, your mind, body, your heart, even when it's uncomfortable, even when it's a hard situation, even when you already had something else planned for the day. It's what I call grown-up wonder. That ability to stay curious when cynicism would be way easier. Trust me. I'm a 1984 high school grad. If anybody can be sarcastic and cynical, it is us, right? Gen X, the older Gen X's, let me tell you, we got it. We got the cynicism down. But we have to be willing to have that grown-up wonder and be present. It's choosing to listen longer, just a little bit longer, even if it's 20 seconds longer. Ask better questions. Resist the urge to fix or defend. That's a really hard piece, but that's what being present is. Presence is what turns attention into understanding. I pay attention to it, so therefore I can understand it. When we connect, our attention then becomes empathy. People feel steadied when they feel seen. And when we connect, they feel seen, right? That's the foundation of trust. Connection always precedes composure, and composure isn't the absence of tension, it's the easing of it. So when you connect, you ease the tension. Real presence doesn't demand control, it cultivates confidence. So if you find yourself needing to control something, ask yourself, why am I? I need to be more present here, right? Something's not right. All right. Next we have energetic. Energy is contagious, all energy. Every single kind of energy, from the very most positive to the very most negative. And as leaders, we decide what kind of energy we bring into the room. All right? Grounded energy is more than just enthusiasm, it's intention wrapped in vitality. I love that phrase. Intention wrapped in vitality. That's the kind of grounded energy we want to bring into the room. It's not just walking in and going, woohoo, yeah, yeah, yeah. It is literally coming in and understanding that the joy can be found and we can actually be vital and thrive and flourish, but we have to be intentional about it. This sets a rhythm for others to follow. It creates movement without chaos. It's the difference between frantic hustle and purposeful action. Think about a flock of starlings, those mesmerizing murmurations that twist and turn in the sky, hundreds moving as one. It's just amazing to me. They don't collide because they're connected by some kind of rhythm and awareness. And that's what healthy energy does in a team or in a family. It moves together, it adapts together, and it stays beautifully synchronized. When you show up with grounded energy, the kind everybody wants to feel but doesn't quite know how to create, you become the stabilizing force that keeps the pattern beautiful instead of chaotic. Anywhere. In your job, in your church, in your family, in your volunteer group, in your classroom. When you show up that way, you become the stabilizing force that keeps the pattern beautiful. Then there's courageous. This one gets a lot of attention. This is extremely important. And right now, a lot of people are showing courage courage. But I want to be clear steadiness and courage are inseparable. Courage is not running out there and doing wacko crazy things. Courage doesn't always roar either. Sometimes it whispers things like, stay, or eek. And it looks like compassion and composure and conflict and compassion and uncertainty. Courage is the one that actually says, I'm gonna be in this conflict and I'm gonna like stay composed. I'm not gonna let my emotions get the best of me. It's the ability to stay kind without backing down and to stay open without being overtaken. Courage means choosing to honor your values even when it costs you comfort and approval. It's being brave enough to lead without the guarantee of being right. And it's that inner strength that says, I will not let fear dictate the tone of this space. When you lead from that place, you show others that strength and softness can absolutely coexist. Next up is wise. Now, wisdom is steadiness expressed through discernment. That's a word that we use a lot in church spaces, but we don't always use that in business spaces. But discernment is not about, and wisdom is not about knowing everything. It's about understanding what's really happening kind of below the surface. It's like seeing, seeing underneath. It's looking at something and recognizing the patterns. Wise leaders look past reactions and symptoms to see deeper patterns and the root causes, the fears, the motivations underneath the words that are coming out. Because a lot of times the words that are coming out are just kind of a mask, or they're the most top of the wrong emotion that's showing up when a lot of times the what really is happening is there may be a fear, or there may be um a rejection, or um, someone has been denied something, or you know, I just I'm gonna keep coming back to it. A lot of times it's just fear. And there's a lot of fear out there today, right? So a wise leader will ask questions like, what's true here and what matters most? And they respect the complexity of the human experience. You have to, even when it's messy or inconvenient. Wisdom is also deeply tied to respect for yourself, for others, for the process of understanding. It's recognizing that every person, every respect, every perspective holds one piece at least of the puzzle. Every single one. Wise leaders also know that their words carry weight. They choose them carefully, balancing truth and grace in the same breath. This is one that I struggle with. But I'm learning to um pop off with my inner circle and react to certain things with my inner circle before I do things outwardly. Because I'm always surprised that people say, Andrea, I come to you for your wisdom. And I'm like, Yeah, but you have no idea. So this is what I work on. I work on the fact that I need to choose my words very carefully. It's wisdom speaks with dignity for everyone. Wisdom earns respect through restraint and creates safety through understanding. It restores trust, not by controlling the narrative, but by honoring the nuance. All right. We don't have to control the narrative. We do need to honor the nuance and the experience of each living person. And finally, intentional. Intentionality is that thread that runs through everything, all the other five. It's the difference between reacting to circumstances and leading on purpose. And you know why you lead and who you serve. You filter your choices through that clarity, and that clarity becomes consistency. Intentionality turns your core values into verbs. They move you. Freedom of thought becomes freedom of speech. Freedom of thought becomes doing my own work rather than doing someone else's work. It becomes being an entrepreneur rather than working for someone else. All of those things that move you, if it's respect, it gets turned. Intentionality turns that respect into something that is very beautifully lived out in your life. Intentionality, when you're um when it turns your core values into verbs, it animates your actions. It guides your tone, it shows up in your timing. You're not just optimistic, you're intentionally optimistic. You're not just present, you're intentionally present. You see, intentional leadership is about a whole lot more than just reacting well. It's about planning, preparing, and growing with purpose. It's creating systems and rhythms that reflect your values before the moment of crisis arrives. My mom used to say, Andrea, nothing happens good after midnight. What does that mean? Well, if you're out after midnight, you need to be prepared. You need to know that something might happen. But the reality is it was be in before midnight. Be home before midnight, right? So you need to know that that needs to happen before those things arrive. Intentional leaders are the architects of culture. They don't just hold their values privately, they design environments that express them publicly. Steady leadership in its truest form is calm authority that embodies all six dimensions of intentional optimism. Hopeful, grounded, energized, courageous, discerning, and purposeful, and creates spaces in which others can do the same. That's the invitation, my friend. That's it right there. To live these tenets so fully that steadiness isn't something you do, it's something people can feel when you walk into the space. But let's bring this down to something practical. This if steadiness is what the world needs, how do we actually do it? How do we practice it? This is where my favorite framework comes in. I just, I'm recording this in between my two live to leads, and we just did this in the Charlottesville Live to Lead. We're going to do it again in the Lynchburg one. It's a great framework that works in so many ways. You've heard me talk about it before, unless you're brand new here, and if you are welcome. It's simple enough to remember in any situation, yet very flexible and flexible enough to apply to just about every one of them. It's a rhythm you can trust, whether you're processing quietly or leading through chaos, and that is recognize, reflect, and respond. So we'll start with recognize. In this kind of situation, we're talking about being steady in unsteady times. Recognize is where steadiness begins. When we recognize the instability or uncertainty of our sphere of influence. What is shifting right now? What's creating tension? Where do you sense unease? Maybe it's in yourself, in your team, in your home, or in your community. And then you can lead, because here's the deal. If you don't know what it is, you can't do anything with it. You can't lead what you refuse to see. So pay attention. Notice the patterns, the stories, the emotions that arise. Those emotions are key. Remember, recognition is about awareness, not judgment. So you're not pulling this up to judge yourself. So if it's it's your way of saying something here deserves my attention, not dog gone, I shouldn't have done it that way. It's like, no, no, no, no. This needs my attention. Then you take the opportunity to reflect. Because once you've named what's happening, you can take a breath before you move and ask, what value, one of my core values, does this moment call for? Or maybe even which tenet of intentional optimism could guide me here? Sometimes it is optimism. You might need to see possibilities, like I explained earlier. I need those possibilities in order to not be like in a mental corner. It might be wisdom. Maybe you need to listen just a little bit longer. Or it could be courage. You need to stand steady when others are spinning, like out of control. Reflection is how you reset your internal compass, the one calibrated by those core values. It's the pause where you hold the question if this value were truly leading me right now, how would I show up? That's what helps you realign before taking the next step. Reflection anchors your discernment so that you can respond with integrity rather than impulse. And finally, respond. This is where intention turns into motion. You need to respond with at least one clear action and one open invitation. The action is how you embody the value. This is your tenet in motion. The invitation is how you open the door for others to join you. Did you catch that? Your action is how you embody the value. Remember, your values, intentionality turns your values into verbs. And then it's your tenant, whatever you've decided to, like if it's courage or if it's present or if it's wisdom, it's like that in motion. And the invitation is how you open the door for others to join you. You may not be the stated leader in any particular group or in a room, but you can still do this. Because it's not just telling them what you're doing, it's inviting them into the same process and posture. Maybe it sounds like, you know, I'm going to choose patience here because it builds trust. You don't have to say all of that out loud. It could be inside. But you could even ask someone that you're with, could you help me hold that space for now? Or I am pausing before I answer because I really want to listen well and make sure I get all the details and understand the nuances. Would you join me in that, in listening for a little while? That kind of invitation multiplies steadiness. It helps, it invites other people into that same calm understanding. It reminds others that leadership isn't a solo act. You do it together. It's a shared rhythm of awareness, reflection, and response, just like those starlings. Murmuring through the sky. That's how leadership grows. One transparent, intentional moment at a time. Because steady leadership multiplies when transparency replaces performance and integrity replaces posturing. And that's where your leadership becomes contagious, my friend. Not because you're trying to control others, but because your steadiness offers them something solid to stand on with or next to. When we talk about steady leadership, it can sound a little abstract, I understand. Like something reserved for people in the corner offices or in public roles because they're the ones that everybody's looking at, but it's really not. This pattern shows up everywhere. Board meetings, classrooms, family dinners, volunteer projects, even in the quiet moments when you're deciding what to post or what not to say or text. You've probably noticed it. Those voices out there who seem unshaken, even in tense conversations. It could be you. Some people find them calming, others find them frustrating because they may not match the level of outrage in the room. I understand both reactions, but I still submit this these are the voices we need. There are moments when I listen to very passionate, fired up voices because their energy helps me understand a complex issue. There's no way I could research everything that's going on out there right now. And then there are other times, well, and not even just everything that's going on out there right now, but I only have my own lived experience. I don't have other people's lived experience. So I need to listen to some people who are passionate about things to understand all the different sides of things, right? But then there are other times when I seek out really steady voices because my nervous system needs a voice that doesn't swing between the poles. The steady ones help me breathe. They hold their ground without adding to the noise, and in doing so, they help the rest of us see the underlying patterns, the root causes, what's really going on beneath the spin zone. What does it sound like? The tenet of wisdom, right? That's the quiet power of steadiness. It makes space for reason, for breath, and for humanity. And if you think about it, that's what we're all craving right now. Not agreement, not sameness, but leaders, small or big, who can hold their ground and help us make sense of what's happening. So as you move through this week, start noticing where that pattern shows up for you. Who are the steady voices that you trust? For me, they're often journalists who are committed to truth telling and not clickbait. The ones who dig down to the root of a story and stay there until they understand it. Sometimes it's podcasters who speak with conviction but still leave room for nuance. Sometimes it's a friend who listens a lot longer than anyone else, and boy, do I have a group of them that listen to me for a long time. That is a real gift. Maybe it's a coworker who quietly keeps a team moving forward even when everyone else is losing steam. And maybe for you it's a mentor, a teacher, a family member, someone who stays curious instead of combative. Whoever they are, notice what it feels like when you listen to them. What shifts when you're around that kind of steadiness? Because that same energy, that same calm authority is something you can cultivate in yourself. You don't have to have it all figured out. You just have to keep choosing calm authority, grounded courage, and values-based action. That's how steadiness spreads. One deliberate human moment at a time, my friend. But here's the thing about steadiness: it is not solitary. You get one little tree out in the wind and it's fallen over, but you get a whole forest together, mm-mm. Not going anywhere. Steadiness is deeply relational. Relationable. Steadiness is deeply relational. Discernment doesn't isolate, it gathers people who think deeply and act ethically. It's how we lead with clarity instead of reactivity, and that clarity becomes contagious. When you lead with steadiness, you don't just calm the atmosphere, you create space for others to pause, to think, and to act with integrity. Critical thinking helps you see clearly, core values keep you honest, and intentional optimism reminds you that change is still possible. It has not all been written. None of it. Not our careers, not our kids' futures, not politics, not the church, nothing. Together they form the pulse of healthy leadership. The critical thinking, the core values, intentional optimism. This is thoughtful, anchored, and hopeful leadership. Because thriving leaders don't just grow, they help others flourish and thrive. And that's the real power of steady leadership. It builds environments where everyone can breathe a little easier, think a little deeper, and lead a little truer. But before I wrap up, I want to bring this back to you. Because this isn't just theory. It's practice. It's real. I don't do anything that's just theory. I am at heart a philosopher and I love me some good thought experiments, but I'm not going to sit here and walk through an entire podcast episode with you and not make it practical. I want all of my work that I do with you to be practical. So for you this week, identify one area in your work, your community, or your home where things feel uncertain or unsettled right now. You may be like, Andrea, I don't have enough fingers and toes to count them. That's fine. What is the one that you want to deal with this week? Or first, right? Maybe it's you deal with five of them this week, I don't know. But ask yourself, what does this moment require of me? What of my core values needs to lead the way? Then reflect on it and take one small action that embodies that value through one of the tenets of intentional optimism and one small invitation that shares it with another person. Maybe that means modeling calm authority in the next hard meeting. Maybe it's asking a colleague, what would leading with integrity look like for us here? Because sometimes you gotta do it together. Maybe it's starting a quiet ripple of reflection and steadiness in a space that could use a little peace. However, it looks, remember, you don't need a platform to lead. You just need presence, purpose, and the courage to invite others into the same thing. As Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us, the time is always right to do what is right. True leadership isn't about being the calmest person in the room. It's about cultivating a room that stays calm because you led that way. Every time you respond with discernment and invite others to do the same, you're building a stronger circle of steady, principled leadership. That's how culture changes. One value-led invitation at a time. So if you're ready to take this deeper and become the steady voice, the grounded energy, the leader who steadies every space you enter, here's where you start The Core Values, free core values blueprint. It's the simplest way to get you anchored in who you are and how you lead. And if you don't have it yet, simple free download. Or you could jump into uncovering your core values digital course. It's a guided way to apply your values to real decisions and real moments of fear. If you do not know your core values yet, this is where you start. If you want to go super deep right now, or you need somebody to push back on some of the way, like you may not be one of those people that can do like independent work. And I don't mean that in a derogatory way. I mean some of us need somebody to bounce things off of. Well, the core values coaching program is what you might need. We pair one-on-one coaching with me with the self-paced course to build steady values-based confidence together. You'll find every link you need in the show notes, including the one to the free what is intentional optimism download. Grab what you need and keep this momentum going. Now, before we close, I do want to thank two partners who helped make this work possible and who support leaders like you in growing with purpose. And the first is PodMatch. Podmatch is the platform that connected me with over 150 podcasts last year as a speaker, okay? As a guest. And if you've been listening today thinking, you know, it might be time for me to use my voice. Well, then PodMatch is the perfect place to start. That's I didn't get started with PodMatch, but I remember listening to my story of getting started with my podcast is listening to another podcast and having her say, um, is podcasting that your next stage? I'm like, I might have something to say. And here I am, 245, 43, I don't know how many, 240 plus episodes down the road. But podmatch is a perfect place to start because it helps you find the right podcast to share your message and connect with audiences who need what you have to say. Or it could help you be a podcaster, right? Check it out at joinpodmatch.com forward slash the intentional optimist, or you can just find it in the stuff in the show notes. And second is Liz Wilcox's email marketing membership. It's just $9 a month and it gives you everything you need to build your email list and stay consistent. When you join through my link, you'll also get my Healthy Boundaries Make Happy Holidays masterclass free as a bonus. Because now is the time to decide how you're gonna navigate those holidays. The conversations at the table, I mean, my family and I have already had conversations about what's happening for Thanksgiving and we're talking about Christmas. So you need to be able to navigate the conversations at the table, the potential long road trips, all those differing opinions on yeah, yeah, just about everything. But this is where all that core values and leadership work shows up. When you choose to stay steady, speak thoughtfully, and lead without shrinking. So you'll find the link for Liz Wilcox's email marketing membership in the show notes. And again, you'll get as a bonus when you join through my link, Healthy Boundaries Make Happy Holidays. And of course, I'm gonna be putting that out there during the holiday season as well. But you're gonna find everything where what everything you need is in the show notes. These are both tools I personally use. I am proud to share them because they help leaders keep showing up, using their voices and leading with discernment and courage. Now, looking ahead next week on Stand Tall and Own It, we're gonna talk about leading with listening, how paying attention changes absolutely everything. We'll explore how listening to your people, your team, your body, and the world around you becomes the first act of steady leadership. That's part of what we talked about in the Tenet of Present, listening a little bit longer. So we'll go a little deeper on that next week. If this episode has been about cultivating calm authority, next week is about applying it through awareness, how paying attention can transform the way that you lead one conversation at a time. But for now, stand tall, my friend. Lead like you mean it, and remember, steady leadership doesn't shout for attention. It builds trust through presence, courage, and care. Until next time,