Founder Letter: Leading from Relaxation

What if the truest measure of leadership isn’t how much strain you can endure, but how much ease you can embody?

Dear Rosies,

So much of what we’ve been taught about leadership equates strength with strain. The leader who clenches their jaw, who tightens their shoulders, who powers through on adrenaline: this is the image we’re given again and again. But the truth is, real leadership doesn’t come from tension. It comes from ease. From the ability to stay centered, steady, and soft in the middle of whatever storm is moving through.

When we lead from relaxation, we communicate safety without saying a word. Our nervous system is broadcasting all the time. When we’re grounded and at ease, others feel it too. They can settle, open, and access their own clarity. Neuroscience has language for this—the “social engagement system,” the prefrontal cortex coming online—but the essence is simple: when you’re calm, others can find their calm too.

This doesn’t mean being limp or disengaged. Think of yoga’s teaching of sthira and sukha—strength and ease at once. The spine tall, the breath flowing, the gaze steady but not hard. A voice that carries authority without strain. That is the embodiment of true power: soft and strong together.

Boundaries, too, look different from this place. Not the rigid walls that separate, but permeable edges that let us stay connected while still in our own center. Like a martial artist redirecting force without needing to fight, the relaxed leader can feel urgency without panic, disappointment without collapse. This is sophisticated strength.

And it’s a practice. A daily one. Relaxing the jaw, dropping the shoulders, lengthening the breath. Pausing before speaking. Checking in with yourself in the middle of the meeting or the conversation: Am I here, in my body, or have I been pulled off center? This kind of self-contact is what allows us to be fully present to others without losing ourselves.

The ripple effect is profound. Teams led by someone who is regulated and relaxed perform better, collaborate more easily, and feel safer taking risks. But beyond performance, there’s something deeper: people feel seen, steady, and more like themselves in the presence of a relaxed leader.

In a world that often rewards domination or rigidity, leading from relaxation is a quiet revolution. It shows that true authority doesn’t need to shout, and true power doesn’t require force. It demonstrates that presence itself—the strong and soft center—is the gift.

Read more on Leading from a Soft Center on the blog.

With love,
Christine