No major transformation is possible without a felt experience of a better future. And that felt experience begins in the body.
I used to smoke up to 70 cigarettes a day for 20 years. Imagine how many people around me wanted me to change. Imagine the toll it was slowly taking on my health and how crucial it was for me to stop if I wanted to stay alive. And yet, year after year, I kept smoking.
Then, one day, my 7-year-old son came to me with tears in his eyes, radiating so much love that I couldn’t help but feel it deeply in my heart. He said, “Dad, I don’t want you to die.” In that moment, something shifted. The idea of not being here to see him grow flashed through my mind and hit me like a punch in the gut. Looking at him, I felt a deep longing course through me. I wanted to be present for the milestones we might share—his graduation, the possibility of meeting his future children—and to support him in challenging times throughout his future. I had reconnected with my body and my emotions. For the first time, I truly felt the need to change.
This story isn’t just about quitting smoking—it’s about the power of reconnection in our society. Whether in ecological, economic, or social contexts, we all know we need to do better. Yet, we often don’t act. Why? Because we’re disconnected—from our bodies, our sensations, our emotions, and our deepest aspirations.
Transformation doesn’t start with thinking—it starts with feeling.
Look around—How many leaders do you know who’ve lost touch with their physical and emotional selves, leaving their vision of a better future as nothing more than an uninspiring idea, like a note stuck on the fridge?
But when they reconnect, that vision transforms into a real, tangible experience that others want to follow.
Four Steps to Embodied Leadership:
Learn to Feel Yourself. Tune in to your body. Your physical sensations, emotions, and thoughts are internal signals that reveal what drives—or hinders—you from being the leader you aspire to be. This self-awareness is the first step toward breaking free from the fears that limit you.
Feel the Communities Around You. Leadership is not a solo act. Listen deeply to those around you. Feel their presence, and be fully present with them. This is how you begin to lead from a place of compassion and deep understanding.
Envision a Possible Future. Regularly retreat to a quiet space. Connect with your deeper source of inspiration and creativity. This practice is where your vision of the future begins to crystallize.
Act with Purpose. Transformation isn’t just about insight; it’s about action. Feel how this vision shapes you moment by moment. Let this inner sensation guide and inspire your actions every day, in every situation.
Being present in our bodies allows us to access the emotions and sensations that empower our transformation. We all have a body, and it’s much more than just a way to move from one place to another. I challenge you to reconnect with your physical and emotional self and use your body for what it is: an amazing tool for living and leading yourself and others.
Manu
Manu Henrard is a leadership Coach and an Executive Recruiter based in Brussels. He is also an associate from the Strozzi Institute for embodied leadership.
Manu's professional commitment is to help leaders increase meaningful productivity and achieve inner peace. More about his coaching program here.
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