There are moments in leadership when everything feels heavier than usual. The work keeps moving, the meetings keep happening, and the decisions still need to be made, but beneath the surface there is a sense of wading through life as if it’s thick and slow. In my recent podcast conversation with Helen Gibson MBE, she called this ‘the porridge (oatmeal) of life’.
I immediately knew what she meant. I meet leaders and professionals navigating so much, whether it’s organisational change, how AI is changing roles or commercial pressure. In those moments, encouragement can sound too ‘soft’.
Yet Helen’s reframe is powerful and she shares that encouragement is where we get our courage.
Encouragement is not superficial positivity
One of the reasons I found this conversation so interesting is that Helen was not talking about encouragement as fake cheerleading, but something much more practical, human and grounded in her leadership experience of complex transformation projects, where the stakes are high, and the environment is constantly shifting.
Her point was that encouragement is portable- it doesn’t require budget, technical expertise or depend on perfect conditions, but simply showing up and coming alongside people becomes the encouragement. That feels highly relevant for leaders today.
In a workplace shaped by pace and constant change, people do not only need updates, but instead are seeking encouragement, energy and signs that progress is still possible, even in the toughest times.
Wading through complexity and need space to think clearly?
People need to know you care
When it comes to care, Helen shared a powerful idea: people do not care what you know until they know that you care.
For leaders, this is a vital reminder. Many capable professionals are used to proving their value through knowledge and showing their expertise. Now, of course, this matters, but influence starts with connection.
If people do not feel that you understand their reality, context or personal experience, your knowledge may not land. If they do not feel seen and acknowledged, your advice may feel like added pressure. If they do not trust your intention, your message won’t land, and people will not follow.
I see this as especially important in global leadership across cultures, where care, respect, feedback and how we build trust are not the same in every context. Cultural Intelligence helps leaders notice how people experience what is happening, and judge how to adapt their communication and interaction approach to encourage them, according to how the individual wants.
The leadership power of stopping
Helen describes a simple traffic light model in her book, ‘Go for Goosebumps’: stop, prepare, go. I know from my own work that many leaders find stopping to create clarity the hardest part when the workplace rewards speed.
Yet without stopping, you cannot check the map and ask whether the direction of travel still makes sense, or notice whether you are starting to drift off course because you are reacting in micro movements to each day’s challenges.
Stopping does not always mean a dramatic pause, it can be a five-minute walk around the block, a quiet moment before the next meeting, or an end-of-week reflection on what has gone well and what needs more attention. These small pauses can create disproportionate clarity.
Want to strengthen your connection and build trust?
Creating evidence for confidence
One of my favourite practical ideas was Helen’s ‘victories folder’, a place where she captures evidence of what has gone well, encouragement received, wins achieved and progress. This can be a physical folder, but can also be a notes app, voice note, email folder or visual board. The format matters less than the practice.
I see professionals who notice and pay attention to mistakes, weaknesses and long to-do lists, but it can be very powerful to gather evidence of progress, impact and your growing capability because confidence is strengthened when we can see real evidence.
What if encouragement was part of your leadership?
Goosebumps as a signal
Helen’s book is called ‘Go for goosebumps’, referring to the excited shivers we can get at an idea, and points to the importance of energy as a leader. Goosebumps are a physical signal that something matters to you, and often happen in moments of aliveness, meaning, connection or possibility.
However, in a busy professional life, those signals can easily be missed, so when we pay attention, this is a great indicator about where purpose and energy show up.
Reflection questions
Where are you currently ‘wading through porridge’?
What signs of encouragement have you received recently, but not properly noticed?
Who could you offer encouragement to this week?
I explore these ideas further in my podcast conversation with Helen Gibson MBE, Encouragement is Where Courage Begins with Helen Gibson MBE.
If you would like to explore the human leadership capabilities that help you connect, collaborate and build trust across cultures, you can also find practical frameworks in my book, Become a Global Leader.
And if you are navigating a bigger role, a period of uncertainty or a leadership challenge where you need clearer thinking and support, you can book a clarity call with me.
