MSS #109: For When You Have to Lead... But Don’t Feel Like It

MSS #109: For When You Have to Lead… But Don’t Feel Like It

8 Feb, 2024

🕒Read time: 3.1 minutes

🚀In a hurry? Cut straight to the heading “The 5-Step Reset” - reduced read time 1.4 minutes

Leading When You Feel Drained

Ever had to lead a meeting while feeling exhausted, stuck, or doubting yourself?

It happens to the best of us.

You’re running on empty.
Your passion feels like a distant memory.
But that meeting’s in your diary, and all eyes are on you.

The good news? You don’t have to feel great to lead well.

You can’t always control how you feel in the moment.
But you can control how you show up.

Here’s a 5-step reset to help you shift gears and lead with clarity—without overcomplicating it.

Even on low-energy days, you can deliver clarity, inspire connection, and keep your team moving forward.

The 5-Step Reset

You can use this approach to any situation, inside and outside of work.

There are plenty of occasions outside of work, we are not in the mood to show up, this can help.

Let’s go then….

1. Anchor Yourself Before the Meeting

Take 2 minutes to reset your energy with this quick breathing exercise:

• Inhale for 4 seconds

• Hold for 4 seconds

• Exhale for 6 seconds

Then, focus on one thing you can do well today. Not everything. Just one.

2. Set a Simple Intention, Not Perfection

Ditch “I have to crush this” for something more useful:
✅ “I’ll focus on making the conversation productive.”
✅ “I’ll create space for the team to shine.”
✅ “Let’s aim for some progress.”

Intentions guide your mindset—perfection only drains it.

3. Start with a Structured Opener

Confidence is contagious—even when you don’t feel it.

Try this simple, clear opening:
🗣️ “Thank you for being here. Today, we’ll cover [X]. My goal is [Y]. Let’s dive in.”

Having a structured start removes mental clutter and sets a steady tone for the room.

Keep to a clear, simple and achievable framing for the meetings purpose.

4. Engage Your Team to Shift the Energy

Instead of carrying the meeting alone, involve others:

• Start positively: “Give me one point each we should celebrate since our last meeting.”

• Invite solutions: “What ideas should we explore further?”

• Show trust in others: “Who will lead on this point?”

I always started all my meetings with celebrations of success. I invite each attendee to share something that’s gone well since the last meeting, why?

✅ Starts the meeting on a productive footing – most meetings dive into problem mode

✅ The team will start noticing what’s gone well for the next meeting, that reduces stress and improves creative problem solving

Engagement lifts the energy off you and spreads it across the room.

5. Let Go of Over-Delivering

When you’re feeling low on energy, it’s tempting to compensate by pushing harder, trying to be extra engaging, overly prepared, or aiming for perfection.

Meetings aren’t performances—they’re conversations.

Instead of striving to impress, shift your focus to creating clarity and connection.

✅ Keep it simple – You don’t need to say everything, just the essentials.
✅ Trust your presence – Your experience and past good habits will carry you.
✅ Stay present – Instead of worrying about how you come across, focus on the flow of discussion.

A great way to wrap up the meeting is with a clear and concise closing statement:

🗣️ “Thanks for your input. Let’s summarise our key takeaways.”

This does three things:
✔️ Provides closure – Everyone leaves knowing what’s been achieved.
✔️ Reinforces progress – Even if you felt ‘off,’ key insights were gained.
✔️ Shifts the focus – It’s not about you, it’s about what’s next.

When you let go of over-delivering, you create space for a more natural, engaging, and productive meeting—without exhausting yourself.

 Summarise:
✔️ Decisions made – Gives clarity, shows leadership, demonstrates progress.
✔️ Actions agreed – Reinforces progress, value of meeting. Assign owners and agree completion dates.

Why This Approach Works

When you prioritise process over perfection, the pressure eases.

And here’s the reality:
You don’t need to feel amazing to lead amazingly.

Your old good habits will carry you forward—even on tough days.

If this feels like your reality too often, let’s chat.

I help leaders like you build habits that keep you grounded and effective—no matter the chaos.

Summary

Leading while feeling drained is tough—but not impossible. This 5-step reset helps you shift gears quickly and show up with clarity.

🔹 Anchor yourself before the meeting (quick breathwork + simple focus).
🔹 Set an intention, not perfection (ditch pressure for purpose).
🔹 Start with a structured opener (confidence is contagious).
🔹 Engage your team (shift the energy outward).
🔹 Let go of over-delivering (focus on connection, not performance).

✔️ You don’t have to feel great to lead well—just show up with intention.

See you next week. One more thought 👇

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That's it for this week. Thanks for reading, really hope this helped. Contact me if you think I can help you further at [email protected].

Happy thinking.