Lead With Intention This Week

July 2, 2025

Grace in the Grind: The Leadership Skill No One Talks About

Leadership isn’t tested when the skies are clear. It’s tested in the middle of the storm, when plans fall apart, tension rises, and the pressure turns up to eleven.

This is where most leaders default to intensity. Volume goes up. Expectations get sharp. Meetings get colder. But the best leaders? They don’t lose their cool.
They choose something better.
They choose grace.

What Is Grace in Leadership?

Grace is not weakness. It’s not passive.
Grace is presence.
It’s the ability to hold tension without transferring it.
It’s choosing to be grounded instead of reactive.
It’s delivering clarity without crushing morale.

In other words, grace is what keeps a team together when everything else feels like it’s falling apart.

Why It Matters

The grind reveals everything.
Your tone. Your habits. Your emotional discipline.
When you’re under pressure, your team doesn’t just listen to what you say—they feel who you are.

And the truth is: how you show up in the grind determines whether people trust you beyond it.

Three Ways to Practice Grace in the Grind

1. Breathe Before You Speak
   The space between a trigger and your response is where leadership happens. There is power in that short pause. Take it. Use it. Respond with intention, not impulse.

2. Reframe the Situation
   When the team feels overwhelmed, help them zoom out. “Yes, this is hard. Yes, we’re stretched. But here’s what we’re building…and it’s worth it.”

3. Model Steady, Not Stale
   Steady doesn’t mean boring. It means reliable. Predictable in the best way. A presence your team can count on.

The Invitation

This week, ask yourself:

• Am I showing up under pressure in a way that inspires confidence?

• What tone am I setting for my team when the heat is on?

• Is my presence creating calm or chaos?

You don’t need to have all the answers.
But you do need to show up like someone who can handle the questions.

That’s what real leadership looks like.

🔥 New Podcast Episode

🎧 Episode 170: Wealthy, Well-Known, and Wildly Intentional; Redefining Success with AJ Vaden (Part 1)

What happens when everything you’ve built is stripped away overnight…your business, your income, your identity?

This week on the Evoke Greatness Podcast, I’m joined by AJ Vaden, co-founder of Brand Builders Group and co-author of the brand-new book Wealthy and Well-Known. In Part 1 of our conversation, AJ shares the raw, behind-the-scenes story of getting “super fired” and how that moment became the unlikely catalyst for discovering peace, purpose, and the business she was born to build.

We unpack the truth about hustle culture, what it really means to be wealthy, and why your reputation matters more than your revenue.

🎧 Listen now and don’t forget to preorder Wealthy and Well-Known to claim $350 in bonuses:
👉 www.wealthyandwellknown.com

Click the ling below to listen to the full episode of Evoke Greatness →