Most leaders don’t realise when they’ve slipped into autopilot, because it doesn’t look like disengagement, it looks like working harder.

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Over the past two weeks, speaking with leaders navigating the war in Israel, I’ve heard the same pattern:

• Decisions feel heavier
• Focus is fragmented
• Lots of urgent things to do, while our external environment is uncertain and unclear
• Running the business while mentally distracted
• Balancing family logistics, safety and business demands takes a toll
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So you push to keep it all going.
You put it the hours, the effort, reacting, responding.
It feels productive, like you’re keeping control.
But it’s not really. Because we’re operating by default and not through intentional choice of what to focus on.

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And it’s exhausting! The tiredness is both physical (after all, we’re waking up for sirens and runs to bomb shelters, day and night) and mental (because it’s draining to constantly be on high alert).

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So we continue by running on autopilot.

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Autopilot is great because it can keep you moving but it also has a cost:

• Focus is on keeping busy rather that prioritising what matters
• Decisions may need to be revisited, if you’re distracted
• Communication can sound scattered when you’re lacking clarity
• Taking charge without bringing people along can sound like ‘command and tell’ and disempowering to your team.
• When we’re so focused on getting things done, we may forget to show empathy and support to those around us (and ourselves).
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The issue isn’t only the external turmoil and uncertainty, caused by being at war.

It’s that you’re operating on autopilot without noticing it.

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So, here’s a suggestion for you to begin noticing.

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Instead of asking what am I doing next, ask:

Where am I operating from right now? Pressure and urgency, or clarity and choice?

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This question interrupts autopilot.

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And when you apply it, here’s what changes:

• Decisions get made faster
• Communication becomes direct again
• Teams move without constant checking
• You stop carrying everything yourself
• You can see the nuances of what’s required in the moment and offer the right kind of support
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That’s the difference between reacting and leading.

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I recorded a short Thinking Room conversation this week breaking this down and giving a simple way to catch yourself in autopilot and reset. I don’t usually share these conversations but this one feels relevant and important.

​Here’s your peek into the Thinking Room​

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Helping leaders catch themselves in these moments and shift back to clear, intentional leadership is part of what I do inside my Thinking Room and my 3–6 month 1:1 work.

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We don’t just talk about the moment you’re in. We look at the patterns shaping how you lead, where you’re over-holding, where you’re compensating and where you may have lost range.

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We also work on decision clarity, delegation under pressure, difficult conversations and how you show up when the stakes are high.

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It’s all aimed at one thing.
Helping you operate with clarity and intention again, so you’re not carrying everything alone or reacting by habit, even when things around you aren’t stable.

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If this is where you are right now, send me a message.
Tell me briefly what you’re navigating and then we’ll have a call to see if it’s a fit.

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Lead with clarity. Act with intent.