We are excited to share with you the next interview in our “Beyond the Page” series featuring Doreen Steenland.
Your brain loves predictability, but leadership rarely offers it anymore. When stress and urgency become the norm, even the most capable leaders can lose access to their best thinking and default to old autopilot patterns. That’s not a character flaw, it’s a nervous system response, and it’s exactly where executive coaching can create real change.
I’m joined by executive coach and former RN Doreen Steenland, author of “The Conscious Leader: Coaching for Embodied Leadership in a Reactive World.” We dig into what embodied leadership actually looks like under real-world pressure, why “just be calm” advice falls short, and how somatic coaching and applied neuroscience help leaders move from reactivity to choice. Doreen unpacks integrated intelligence beyond the purely cognitive lens: interoception, exteroception, proprioception, and emotion as practical pathways to deeper self-awareness and stronger decision-making.
We also explore emotional contagion and why a grounded, steady presence can shift an entire room. From internal authority versus performing confidence to boundary setting with “full-body yeses” and “full-body no’s,” you’ll hear concrete ways to build psychological flexibility and stay connected to yourself when it matters most. If you lead teams through sustained stress, rapid change, or organizational disruption, this conversation offers a clear, usable framework for nervous system regulation and conscious leadership.
In this episode, I talk with Doreen about her article published in our June 2026 issue.
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