THE STRATEGIC POWER OF STILLNESS
- Dr El-Karien van der Linde
- Sep 19
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 23
By Dr El-Karien van der Linde
Industrial Psychologist and Executive Consultant at TPA
Our world is incredibly noisy.
Push notifications demand our attention before we’ve even grabbed that first cup of coffee. WhatsApp has become an always-available business tool, drowning out social connection. And emails, alerts, and dashboards compete for our focus for what feels like every waking hour of the day. You would think that all this noise and velocity would automatically translate into higher performance.
My work over the past few years suggests the opposite is often true. In fact, noise becomes a mask for complexity – and a way of filling space without truly creating meaning.
Decisions become reactive, not reflective.
Urgency takes precedence over meaning.
And activity replaces impact.
The truth is, we’re so exhausted by the sheer volume of what we’re juggling that we lose sight of what really matters. And what is just … well, noise. My secret weapon is stillness. It’s a skill I’ve honed through decades of research, as well as my lived experience as a member of The Performance Agency’s consulting team. And it’s one of the key skills I’m trying to teach the leaders we work with. Performance does not automatically emerge from constant activity. It emerges in the pauses. The stillness between meetings. After calls. Before key decisions.
Stillness is not the absence of action. It is, in fact, a very deliberate act. A choice to push back on activity and noise, to create space for reflection, clarity, and discernment.
At The Performance Agency, we call this sensemaking: the practice of finding meaning in complexity, in the moment. It is not about collecting more data, but about holding the right space to see patterns, ask better questions, and allow new possibilities to surface.
In an AI era, where information is everywhere but wisdom remains in short supply – the ability to hold space for stillness is, I believe, one of our greatest differentiators.
Don’t expect it to be comfortable, though. As much as we all bemoan the urgency of constant phone calls and emails, there is comfort in routine and same-ness. What I’ve learnt, and what I see almost on a daily basis, is that leaders who can stand in the discomfort of silence and stillness, are the ones who enable change that lasts.
Here’s what I wish most leaders understood about the power of stillness.
Learn to embrace stillness
Some of the most powerful insights don’t arrive in motion, but in pause. The discipline of stillness creates space for leaders to step back, listen differently, and let clarity surface. Resist the urge to fill the silence. Trust that clarity will surface if people are given the time and space to reflect. And know that stillness is not a retreat; it is a powerful performance tool.
Get comfortable sitting with discomfort
I’ve learnt that real transformation requires space to slow down, think deeply, and let something new emerge. Discomfort is often misinterpreted as a signal that something is wrong. But more often than not, it is a sign that growth is taking place. Leaders who can become comfortable with discomfort are better equipped to lead transformation because they can sit in the ambiguity long enough for new patterns, insights, and possibilities to form.
Translate insight into impact
My recent doctoral journey reinforced my conviction that depth is not, in and of itself, the goal. Depth is only useful when it translates into impact. Theory provides a lens, a structure for making sense of complexity – but it is always the lived experience that gives it meaning. The truth is, leaders do not need more models or frameworks. They need the ability to see patterns, ask sharper questions, and navigate complexity with more clarity and conviction.
Embrace learning as a way of being – and listening
We all know, and many leaders endorse, learning is a lifelong pursuit. But we still think learning is about new skills, when very often it’s about fostering curiosity, humility, and an openness to change. What matters more than any certification is our willingness to be shaped by the work – and our agility in refining our perspectives over time. For me, the richest learning has always happened in introspection, and when we slow down – deliberately and purposefully – to listen.
Have the courage to hit pause
Taking time out is hard. I know, because I’ve lived it. A few years ago, I made the difficult decision to step away from consulting to pursue my doctorate. At the time, it felt like pressing pause on a career I loved. But what that season gave me was the depth, clarity, and renewed purpose I could never have found had I stayed in constant motion. Not everyone will choose to take such a big break. But we all have moments where we can decide to pause – even briefly. To close your laptop. Turn your phone off. Sit with a problem a little longer than our always-on, always-now society expects. This will never be wasted time. In my experience, these pauses are often the very moments that bring clarity – about the next step, and the next decision.
Dr El-Karien van der Linde is an industrial psychologist and one of TPA's most experienced executive consultants who has spent the past decade helping leaders and organisations navigate complexity with clarity and confidence.
Read more about El-Karien's recent projects.
