I was in Bend, Oregon recently, speaking to a brilliant team of doctors and health coaches. After the session, a woman came up to me with tears in her eyes. Not because of what I’d said about posture or breathing — but because of a simple phrase I’d shared:
“You told us we’re rarely injured by the sport… but by the body we bring to it.”
That hit her. And it’s hitting a lot of leaders right now.
Chronic pain isn’t just physical. It’s emotional. It’s often deeply personal. And if we ignore it, it doesn’t just sit quietly in the background.
We snap at our team. We lose patience with our kids. We push through decisions that needed more time to think through properly.
We show up looking successful, but we feel disconnected or foggy.
After two decades of working with high-performers, I’ve seen it again and again: most leaders were never taught how to listen to their bodies. But that’s where everything starts. Not just wellness — leadership.
When your body, mind, and values are in sync (I call this the Alignment Advantage), life just moves better. You don’t have to force it. You don’t have to fake energy or grind through the tension. You show up the way you want to show up.
That’s why listening to your body isn’t a wellness hack. It’s a leadership skill. Let’s talk about what gets in the way, and how to shift it.
Table of Contents
- The Leadership Skill No One Talks About: Listening to Your Body
- Why Chronic Pain Isn’t Just a Physical Problem
- The Real Cost of Powering Through
- How to Check Your Alignment in 3 Simple Questions
- So… What’s Your Body Trying to Tell You?
Why Chronic Pain Isn’t Just a Physical Problem
I’ve worked with leaders who could raise millions in funding, rally a team, and give a keynote on zero sleep — but couldn’t sit through a two-hour dinner without back pain.
One client hadn’t slept more than five hours a night in years. Another got daily headaches from jaw clenching. Another refused long flights because of hip pain.
Every single one of them thought pain was a separate issue. Something they’d deal with after the quarter ended, after the launch, after the next raise.
But chronic pain doesn’t stay in its lane.
It leaks into everything — how you show up, how you lead, and how you feel about yourself as a leader.
And the longer you ignore it, the louder it gets.
The Real Cost of Powering Through
Pain is sneaky. It doesn’t always stop you from showing up, but it changes how you show up.
You’re in a meeting, but your neck is screaming. You’re giving feedback, but you’re distracted by that tight spot in your back. You’re making big calls — but you’re low-key exhausted. And there’s a cost:
- You might interrupt instead of listening.
- You rush decisions not because it’s urgent, but because you’re drained.
- You carry tension into every room you walk into… and everyone feels it.
Most leadership coaching focuses on mindset. And mindset is huge. But presence doesn’t come from your head. It comes from embodiment. From being able to feel, ground, and lead from the body.
How to Check Your Alignment in 3 Simple Questions
When I talk about alignment, I’m not just talking about your posture. I’m talking about the relationship between how you move, how you think, and what you care about.
Your body is always talking — through tension, fatigue, or pain. Are you listening? Here’s a quick way to check in:
- Body — What am I feeling? Where’s the signal? (Tight jaw? Shallow breath? Shoulders up to your ears?)
- Mind — What story am I telling myself about why I have to push through? (“I don’t have time to stop.” “People are counting on me.” “This is just what it takes.”)
- Values — What matters most right now? Am I leading in a way that honors that? (Am I leading with intention, or just reacting?)
When these three pieces line up, something shifts. You start responding instead of reacting. You get your energy back. You don’t just finish the day… you feel good at the end of it.
That’s alignment. And it’s a turning point for performance that actually feels good.
So… What’s Your Body Trying to Tell You?
If you’ve got a tight jaw, a stiff back, trouble sleeping, or low-grade exhaustion that coffee doesn’t fix, those aren’t just physical issues.
They’re signals. Your body is trying to slow you down and bring you back to what you actually need.
Most high achievers were never taught how to listen to that. They were taught to push through.
But what if your body isn’t the obstacle? What if it’s the access point? What if real leadership starts when you stop ignoring what hurts… and start responding with care?
You don’t need to overhaul your life. You just need to shift into listening mode, and that’s what I want for you. Less pain, sure, but also more clarity. More of you in the room.
Ready to Take The First Step?
If you’re a leader, or if you support leaders, and you’re noticing signs of burnout, tension, or disconnection, let’s talk.
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