The Power of Presence: Leading Beyond the Professional Mask

Water has always been my element. From age six, I was a competitive swimmer, spending seven days a week doing laps in the pool. The water was my second home; a place where I felt completely at ease, like a fish in its natural habitat. So, when I found myself in the Bahamas, getting my deep-sea diving certification seemed like a natural extension of my aquatic journey.

At first, everything went smoothly. My lifetime of swimming made me comfortable in the water, and I reveled in exploring the stunning underwater world. But it was during one final practice session before our certification exam that I learned a profound lesson about presence and vulnerability.

An Unexpected Teacher

There we were, sitting on our knees on the ocean floor, practicing a routine safety exercise; removing our masks, replacing them, and clearing them of water. I completed the task without difficulty, just as I had done before. Then, for reasons I still can't explain, I started breathing through my nose.

Any diver will tell you this is impossible with scuba gear. Panic set in. I had to physically hold my nose with my fingers to stop the instinctive but futile attempt to breathe through it. My diving instructor, noticing my distress, even offered his spare regulator, assuming mine was malfunctioning. But the equipment wasn't the problem - I was. I had to end the practice session early, slowly ascending to the surface with a profound realization: even in our areas of greatest confidence, moments of vulnerability can catch us off guard.

This experience became a powerful metaphor for leadership. Just as I had to acknowledge my momentary loss of composure underwater, authentic leadership requires us to recognize and accept our vulnerable moments rather than fight against them.

The Ocean's Lesson

Beneath the waves, pretense dissolves. The ocean doesn't care about your years of swimming experience, your carefully crafted image, or your professional achievements. It demands something far more fundamental: your complete presence in the moment. Every breath, every movement, every decision must be made with full awareness and authenticity.

In the corporate world, I had become accustomed to wearing different masks: the tough executive, the decisive manager, the unflappable leader. But underwater, these masks were not just unnecessary; they were impossible to maintain.

The Transformation

This understanding began to seep into my leadership approach. I realized that just as the ocean demanded my true presence, my team needed the same. They didn't need a perfectly polished corporate facade; they needed a leader who was fully present, genuinely engaged, and authentically connected.

During my time overseeing multiple properties across North America and Europe, I started experimenting with this new approach. Instead of hiding behind the protective shield of professional distance, I began showing up as my whole self. This meant being present not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well.

The Impact of True Presence

The results were transformative. When I shared my own challenges in navigating cultural differences across our global properties, team members began opening up about their struggles. When I demonstrated genuine interest in their perspectives, innovative solutions emerged from unexpected places. True presence created a space where authentic connections could flourish.

Learning to Be Present

Through my journey across twelve countries and four continents, I discovered that authentic presence in leadership requires:

1. Dropping the Mask: Letting go of the need to appear perfect or unshakeable
2. Active Listening: Engaging fully in conversations without mentally preparing responses
3. Emotional Availability: Being willing to connect on a human level, not just a professional one
4. Cultural Awareness: Staying present to cultural nuances while remaining true to yourself
5. Mindful Decision-Making: Making choices from a place of conscious awareness rather than reactive patterns

?The Challenge and Reward

Being fully present isn't always easy. During my time in Baku, Azerbaijan, as a new manager facing skepticism and resistance, maintaining presence meant sitting with uncomfortable situations rather than rushing to impose solutions. It meant acknowledging my uncertainties while staying committed to understanding and growth.

But the rewards of present leadership are immeasurable. When you lead with true presence, you create an environment where:

• Trust flourishes naturally
• Innovation emerges organically
• Relationships deepen meaningfully
• Problems solve themselves more easily
• Teams align more authentically

The Path Forward

Today, as I coach female senior executives, I often share this fundamental truth: your most powerful leadership tool is not your expertise, your authority, or your experience; it's your presence. When you show up fully, authentically, and presently, you create space for others to do the same.

The journey to present leadership is ongoing. Like the ocean, it requires constant awareness, adaptation, and authenticity. But when you commit to leading with true presence, you discover that influence flows not from the masks we wear, but from the authentic connections we create.

Remember, in a world of constant distractions and superficial interactions, your genuine presence is a rare and powerful gift. Use it wisely, share it generously, and watch as it transforms not just your leadership, but the lives of those you lead.

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???? I'm Paula de Keijzer, your Holistic Leadership Coach.

From London to Dubai, from Baku to Toronto, my 30-year journey across 12 countries has taught me one crucial lesson: authentic leadership knows no borders.

True leadership isn't about fitting into someone else's mold – it's about breaking free from limiting beliefs and embracing the extraordinary leader you're meant to be. In fact, through leading across four continents, I've discovered that leadership power comes not from perfection, but from embracing our whole selves – strengths, vulnerabilities, and all.

Because when we dare to be genuinely ourselves, we create a ripple effect that inspires others to do the same.

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? Drive meaningful impact through genuine connection

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