Decisions by Design | Edition 17

A Return to Rhythm. 

In leadership, we often talk about scale. 

Scaling teams.
Scaling revenue.
Scaling impact.

But rarely do we talk about rhythm.

The natural world moves in cycles. The sun rises and sets. The moon expands and contracts. Seasons open and close. Energy builds, peaks, recedes, and restores.

These natural rhythms have shaped human decision-making far longer than any strategic framework.

Yet modern leaders often operate as if they are exempt from them. As if summer can be produced in the dead of winter. As if a harvest belongs in a season meant for rest.

Nature signals constantly. The question is whether we have the awareness to listen.

Leaders Are Not Machines.

Most executives were conditioned for consistency.

Consistent output.
Consistent performance.
Consistent expectations.

But humans are cyclical beings.

There are seasons for initiating.
Seasons for building.
Seasons for refining.
Seasons for completing.
Seasons for resting.

When we ignore these rhythms, we make decisions from a place of urgency rather than wisdom.

We overextend.
We override.
We disconnect from the signals that guide timing and alignment.

Returning to Your Natural Rhythm.

Coming back into rhythm is not stepping away from leadership. It is stepping back into your own natural intelligence.

The intelligence of your own unique energy.
The intelligence of your surrounding environment.
The intelligence of a sense of timing that seems to shift with every season.

Leadership is not only about making good choices. It is about choosing when the moment is ready.

When you are in rhythm, decisions aren't forced.

Every living system moves through the same cyclical phases:

• Emergence: First signals. Possibility forming. A subtle knowing that something is beginning.

• Growth: Energy builds. Resources gather. Momentum strengthens.

• Peak: Full expression. High visibility. Maximum output.

• Release: Letting go. Completing what no longer serves. Making space.

• Rest: Recovery. Integration. Renewal. Quiet preparation for what comes next.

When we ignore these phases, we override our natural intelligence.

Everyone talks about scaling, but in nature, nothing scales on command. It grows in season.

Leadership aligned with its true season will always outperform leadership that tries to outrun it.

As You Move Into Your Next Season.

Notice the patterns around you and contemplate:

What is beginning to reveal itself?
What is building energy or momentum?
What is reaching its natural height?
What is ready to be completed or released?
What is asking for stillness or recovery?

Honor the season you are in, and clarity will follow.

Until next time,

with clarity and care,

Courtney