In my work, one pattern often shows up - especially for folks who think deeply, feel a lot, and lead in some capacity:
There’s a constant pressure to say or do something important. To prove you have insight, ideas. To speak up at the right time, in the right way.
But here's the thing: that pressure often does the exact opposite. Pressure muddies your message. It makes you second-guess yourself. It turns your natural insight into performance. Over-compensating for feeling of inadequacy.
Sometimes creative leadership is less about having a plan, and more about being present.
Can you trust what you know — and share it simply, without the performance?
That doesn’t mean dumbing yourself down. It means resisting the urge to overcomplicate. It means noticing the difference between forcing insight vs. letting it land.
“Simple is not the same as basic.”
Some of the most powerful words I’ve ever heard were also the simplest:
“I believe you.”
“You are wanted.”
“This isn’t working anymore.”
None of those require an outlined manifesto. But they change everything when they arrive at the right moment. People don’t always need you to dazzle. They need you to be honest. Clear. Uncomplicated.
Sometimes your best leadership move is not to say something groundbreaking, but to speak a truth that’s been waiting in the wings unsaid.
Real resonance is quiet. And clear. And unrehearsed.
Reflection Questions:
Let’s tune into that. Grab a notebook, a voice note, or just take a quiet walk and ask yourself:
· Am I trusting my own inner knowing? Or looking for others to validate it first?
· What’s something I know to be true - even if it sounds weird or unconventional, and nobody gets it? Am I judging it as right or wrong?
· What am I trying to *prove* when I speak?
· Where in my life have I been trying too hard to be understood?
· Am I adding complexity where simplicity would actually serve me better?
· Have I been trying to say “the right thing,” or the *real* thing?
· What conversation or decision have I been overthinking?
· Are we overexplaining? Holding back because we think people won’t get us?
Try this:
Pick one area of your life that feels unnecessarily complex - a routine, a conversation, a relationship, a belief, a corner of your house. Do one thing to simplify it. Declutter. Cancel something. Say the honest thing you've been avoiding.
When you feel the pressure to impress, pause. Don’t force it. Trust your words come when they’re exactly right. You might be surprised what comes through when you stop trying to sound deep and just speak simply and clearly.
You’re not here to be understood by everyone.
You’re here to land with the right people.
And if it doesn’t land with everyone? That’s not your cue to shout louder. It’s your cue to trust that the right people will hear you when the moment is right.
Reverb Recap
Simplicity isn’t about adding more noise. It’s about distilling things down to their essence. A single sentence can change a life - not because it’s complex, but because it’s true.
You don’t have to try so hard to inspire.
You are profound - and when you speak from knowing, it shows.
This is the kind of inner work I do with clients in my 1:1 coaching - not just business planning, but recalibrating how you lead and create in a way that actually fits you. Not the society or industry mold. You.
Transformation and creativity can be simple.
Let clarity be your amplifier.