There’s something I’m seeing more and more across leadership teams right now.

Leaders are being asked to operate at an even higher level than ever before, often with fewer resources while navigating constant change, and teams that are also feeling stretched.

And leaders are asking themselves, ‘How do I sustain this?’

Recently, I had the opportunity to keynote speak about Leadership Resilience and Navigating Change for a group of senior HR leaders at Co-operators.

What stood out wasn’t just the conversation—it was the willingness in the room to pause, reflect, and talk honestly about pressure, burnout, and what it really takes to lead in today’s environment.

There’s something interesting about this tree.

For some people, when they see it, they may think it’s dead. Irrelevant. Broken. On the verge of dying. That it no longer serves a purpose… and maybe should be cut down.

I’m no arborist. But when I look at it, through my lens as a resilience expert, I see something very different. I see something that has endured something incredibly challenging—something strong enough to force it to bend.

I see adaptation. I see a new purpose. Maybe it now offers shelter in a different way. Maybe it creates refuge for animals that wouldn’t have found it before. It’s still growing. Still blossoming. Leaves are still coming in. It’s still thriving—just in a different way.

And it got me thinking about the journey so many leaders are on right now. Trying to find their relevance. Carving a new, meaningful path within their current roles. Or quietly asking themselves… what could my next chapter look like?

Here’s what I see over and over with leaders navigating change:

When you’ve been through prolonged uncertainty, pressure, or loss, your nervous system learns to survive—not to rest.

That survival mode keeps you alive in the storm.
But it limits you once the storm has passed.

You start:

• Over-checking

• Over-controlling

• Over-preparing

• Over-thinking

Not because you’re weak—but because your system is still driving as if visibility is zero.

And here’s the truth…

If you look closely at this photo, you’ll notice something I couldn’t quite hide with makeup: a dark bruise forming on my chin. Broken blood vessels. Courtesy of my dog, and physics.

I was opening the trunk of my SUV, freeing my dog’s pulley leash system (the one that lets him pull me on cross-country skis). The metal clasp caught… and released like a slingshot, straight into my face. I didn’t see it coming. I couldn’t have planned for it. And it hurt like hell.

Which got me thinking about leadership, purpose… and resilience. In my years spent in the corporate world, I trained myself to plan for A, B, C, and D.

Every leader faces it eventually: that uncomfortable moment when you realize someone on your team isn’t delivering like they should. Deadlines slip. Responsibilities get passed along. The rest of the team starts picking up the slack.

The temptation? To either avoid the conflict or swoop in and fix it yourself.
The problem? Both choices can hurt your credibility, your culture, and your results.

So — what should you do instead?

This weekend, what started as a simple grocery run with my eldest daughter turned into one of those moments that shifted my perspective, and I am still carrying it with me.

If you have been feeling worried about scarcity or struggling with your own direction and purpose in the midst of chaotic times, this article is for you!

As my youngest daughter wraps up Grade 8, I find myself at the edge of an emotional threshold — the same kind we often encounter in leadership: when change calls us to pause, realign, and lead with heart.

This month marks the end of an era in our family: the final elementary school sports tournament, the last-minute grad dress fittings, the bittersweet moments of watching my daughter grow into the young woman I’ve been raising her to be — strong, independent, kind, and resilient.

It’s a deeply personal transition, but one that mirrors the very journey I often coach leaders through. Whether in parenting or leadership, growth is not just about milestones — it’s about letting go of one chapter to step into the unknown of the next.

And that next chapter? It often begins with grief.

Yes — grief. Even in leadership.

Recently, I had one of those A-ha moments—the kind that makes you pause in your tracks and question something that’s been running silently in the background of your life.

I realized that almost everything I do has a purpose. A goal. An outcome.

Even when I think I’m doing something for me—like going to the gym or walking the dog—it’s often tied to a broader objective. Health. Productivity. Routine. Performance.

And while those are noble pursuits, I found myself asking: When was the last time I did something just for the joy of it?