Calm Above, The Storm Beyond: Leadership Lessons from Nature’s Duality

Brad Bartlett
3 min readSep 6, 2023

To exist between two different states yet hold the balance — this is the power of a leader.

Photo by Max LaRochelle on Unsplash

Tonight, I had the privilege of witnessing a remarkable juxtaposition of nature that made me pause and reflect on its allegory to human experiences, particularly in the realm of leadership.

Sitting on my back deck, I felt the air crisp with the tranquility left by a cold front. The sky was a celestial mural, clear and serene.

But as my eyes traveled toward the horizon, a spectacle unfolded — a storm raging, its lightning sketching electric poetry across the sky, punctuated by the distant drumming of thunder.

What struck me was the close proximity of these two starkly different experiences: calmness and turmoil, peace and chaos, existing almost side by side.

This duality is often mirrored in us, complex beings that we are, and notably manifests in leadership roles.

The Personal Front: Calm Amidst Chaos

Leaders, by their role, have to be the still point in a fast-turning world. They’re often the calm sky that teams look up to when the horizon is stormy.

It’s crucial for a leader to maintain a composed demeanor, to think clearly and make…

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Brad Bartlett

Professional Freelance Copywriter. (www.bradleebartlett.co) Musings on #freelancing, #productivity, #self-development, and more!