The Real Skill No One Teaches: Creating Space in Leadership
Leadership often gets linked with action: Be decisive. Step in. Take charge. Solve the problem. Creating space in leadership means pausing before reacting, allowing for more intentional decisions, calmer energy, and a stronger ripple effect on those you lead.
But here’s something we don’t talk about enough:
Real leadership starts before the action.
It begins in the moment you don’t react — when you create space instead.
⏸️ The Space Between Stimulus and Response
We all have a choice point — that invisible moment between what happens to us and how we choose to respond.
Viktor Frankl said it best:
“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
Most people skip over that space.
They jump straight from trigger ➡️ reaction.
But leaders — especially those committed to self-leadership — learn to pause.
⚡ Why Creating Space Matters
When you create space, you give yourself room to:
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Choose your energy, not just react from your emotion
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Clarify what’s needed, instead of rushing into fixing
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Respond with intention, not urgency
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Lead yourself first, so you can lead others better
This doesn’t mean slowing down all the time.
It means leading with presence, not panic.
🛠️ Try This: The 5-Second Gap
This week, experiment with a practice we call the 5-second gap.
Before replying to that message…
Before stepping into that meeting…
Before saying yes to the next thing…
👉 Count to five.
👉 Breathe.
👉 Ask: “What does this really need from me?”
It’s simple — and powerful.
💭 Reflect On This:
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Where are you reacting on autopilot right now?
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What might shift if you gave yourself just a little more space?
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What ripple effect could that pause create for you — and for those around you?
📥 Download the Space-Creator Prompts
We’ve put together a free, printable worksheet with five powerful questions to help you build this habit of space.
Stick it on your desk, pin it on your wall, or save it on your phone.
Want to go deeper into self-leadership?
Next week, we’re talking about the energy behind your strategy — and why how you feel shapes how you lead.
And as always, join the conversation on LinkedIn.
We’re sharing real stories of decision-making under pressure all week long.
Or catch up on last week’s blog.
Let’s build leaders who lead well — especially when it matters most.
— The Fox Coaching Team
