The Leadership Advantage You Can’t Automate: Presence

Presence in leadership is often spoken about but rarely practiced with intention. It’s not just about being in the room — it’s about how we show up, how we listen, and how we bring our individuality into solutions.

Over the past month, three very different experiences reminded me of this truth: one at work, one with family, and one in faith. Together, they shaped one clear lesson: presence is not optional in leadership — it’s essential.

Presence at Work: Creating Alignment

During our first company-wide offsite, I joined a colleague in a kayak. At first, we each paddled independently, focused only on our own effort. The result? The kayak kept veering off course in circles.

Then something shifted. We started to pay attention — not just to the water or our strokes, but to rhythm, timing, and intention. The moment we listened with understanding, the kayak found its flow.

The lesson was immediate: leadership without presence leads to misalignment. Even talented people can pull in opposite directions if they aren’t tuned in to one another. But when leaders bring active listening and awareness, alignment happens naturally, and progress feels effortless.

Presence in Life: Deepening Connection

In the last month, my parents visited me from South Africa. We traveled through Europe together and watched the Monza Gran Prix live together (yes, my family are also F1 Fans) — something they had never done before. Although we speak often on video calls, being physically together brought an entirely different depth.

I noticed details I would have missed on a screen: my mother’s new wrinkles she feels self-conscious about, my father’s habit of repeating questions — perhaps signs of memory fading. These weren’t just surface observations. They were reminders of the realities, joys, and challenges of time passing.

Presence here wasn’t about alignment, but about connection. It meant slowing down long enough to see and appreciate the small, human details that strengthen relationships.

Presence in Faith: Enabling Vision

A final reminder came during a church service where the pastor preached on "Presence". Presence, I was reminded, isn’t only about people — it’s also about tuning into the unseen.

Leaders are often asked to believe in and build toward futures that don’t yet exist. To recognize opportunities, nurture possibility, and inspire others, we must be present. Autopilot dulls our awareness of early signals and emerging shifts. Presence sharpens it.

Faith, like leadership, demands presence: the discipline of noticing what is not yet obvious and committing to a vision beyond today’s reality.

Why Presence Matters for Leaders?

Across these three experiences — work, life, and faith — the pattern was clear:

• Presence aligns teams so they move in the same direction.

• Presence deepens relationships by revealing what’s often overlooked.

• Presence enables vision by helping leaders see beyond the immediate.

This isn’t about “soft skills.” It’s about the practical foundation of effective leadership. Without presence, leaders risk misalignment, shallow relationships, and short-sighted decisions. With presence, they create clarity, trust, and momentum.

The Leadership Question

So here’s the challenge I leave with you:

Are you listening just to hear, or are you actively listening to understand?

It’s a small distinction with big consequences. Presence isn’t about doing more — it’s about being more intentional.

Presence is power — not the power to control, but the power to connect, to notice, and to lead with clarity.