After the Fireside: Real Talk on Leadership, Burnout, and Emotional Agility

When I was invited to lead a leadership workshop following a fireside chat with Dr. Susan David—the brilliant mind behind Emotional Agility—I felt a deep sense of honor and responsibility. Her work has shaped how so many of us think about emotion, truth-telling, and courageous leadership.

What I didn’t expect was… silence.

When I opened our session and asked the group how the fireside chat landed, I was met with blank stares. No enthusiasm. No insights. No words. For a split second, it rattled me.

But then I remembered: silence is data.

This wasn’t apathy. It was a moment of flood. A group of high-performing, deeply committed leaders—many navigating personal burnout, complex change, or collective grief—had just been invited into a vulnerable conversation. The question wasn’t “What did you think?” It was really: “Are you ready to feel?”

So, I pivoted.

We dropped into the body. I introduced the Window of Tolerance—a framework rooted in neuroscience that helps us notice when we’re in our optimal zone for learning, relating, and leading... and when we’re not. Together, we explored:

• What it looks like when leaders are outside that window (micromanaging, checking out, sharp tones, indecision).

• How burnout can flatten even the most vibrant leaders.

• And how senior executives often learn self-care the hard way—after a health scare, emotional breakdown, or quiet exit.

It was here—sitting with real talk about nervous system regulation, over-functioning, and the myth of the “always-on” leader—that the room came alive.

This is the truth of leadership in 2025:
The strongest leaders aren’t the ones who power through. They’re the ones who pause. Who tell the truth about their limits. Who choose presence over performance.

Susan David said it best:

“Discomfort is the price of admission to a meaningful life.”

In this workshop, that discomfort looked like quiet at the start, emotional honesty in the middle, and powerful self-reflection by the end. We asked:

• How do I lead when I don’t have certainty?

• How do I care for my team and still drive performance?

• How do I widen my own window—so I can show up with more clarity and less reactivity?

And perhaps most importantly:
What do I need to unlearn to step into the leader I’m becoming?

At Liminal Space, this is the work.
Not quick fixes. Not leadership hacks. But the slow, powerful, embodied process of becoming.

We guide leaders through the messy middle—through paradox, presence, and truth-telling. Because the new era of leadership isn’t about pretending to have the answers. It’s about learning how to stay present when the answers aren’t clear.

If that’s where you are, you’re not alone. And you’re in the right place.