🎥 Sunday Reset with Steven – 7 Sept 2025
Why Borrowed Conviction Is the Most Dangerous Leadership Habit
In the rain at Monza - or in the boardroom - your own grip is what carries you through.
Ever noticed how one strong voice can swing an entire room?
A boardroom, an exec meeting, even a friendship group.
When that person speaks with absolute certainty, everyone nods along.
But the moment they waver, the whole group shifts like sand.
That’s borrowed conviction.
And it’s fragile.
As you know, during the week, I work with boards and leaders on the toughest challenges at the intersection of AI, governance, and transformation.
But every Sunday, I strip it back to something human, growth oriented, to apply in life and work.
This week, it’s about where we stand when the noise gets loud.
The Stoics had a word for it: autarkeia or self-sufficiency.
Marcus Aurelius wrote:
“You have power over your mind, not outside events.”
Conviction isn’t something you rent from others.
It has to be owned.
And if you’re watching the Italian Grand Prix today, here’s your metaphor:
When the rain hits Monza, the pack usually dives into the pits for new tyres.
But sometimes, one driver stays out.
They trust their grip, their feel of the track, their judgment, not the herd.
Sometimes it costs them.
But sometimes, that single act of conviction wins the race.
Because in Formula 1- like in leadership- the slipstream might keep you safe, but it will never make you a champion.
So How Do You Build Your Own Conviction (not borrow it)?:3 steps.
1️⃣ Define your WHY. Ask why it matters to you, not just to the group or the trend.
2️⃣ Borrow maps, not conviction. Take in perspectives- but redraw your own route. Les Brown says it well.
3️⃣ Practice ownership in small things. This week, make one decision without polling five people first.
📚 Want to go deeper? Here’s your 7-day challenge:
Pick up 2 books:
1. The Effective Board Member -Dr. Karl George, MBE book on anchoring decisions in governance, not groupthink.
2. It Worked for Me - in life and leadership, by General Colin Powell - a masterclass in turning principles into conviction, even under fire.
Read one, skim the other. By next Sunday, share one takeaway with your team.
Because here’s the truth:
Borrowed conviction might carry you into the room.
But only your own will keep you standing when the room goes quiet.
Keep growing. Keep leading.
Until next Sunday.
Let’s get it!
Steven PAUL, CDir FIoD – Reshaping boards and CEOs to lead decisively: Your boardroom compass for bold, trusted AI decisions and governance.
📳 Let me show you how. I invite you to connect with me.
♻️ Share forward, follow for moreBorrowed Conviction Is the Most Dangerous Leadership Habit
In the rain at Monza - or in the boardroom - your own grip is what carries you through.
Ever noticed how one strong voice can swing an entire room?
A boardroom, an exec meeting, even a friendship group.
When that person speaks with absolute certainty, everyone nods along.
But the moment they waver, the whole group shifts like sand.
That’s borrowed conviction.
And it’s fragile.
As you know, during the week, I work with boards and leaders on the toughest challenges at the intersection of AI, governance, and transformation.
But every Sunday, I strip it back to something human, growth oriented, to apply in life and work.
This week, it’s about where we stand when the noise gets loud.
The Stoics had a word for it: autarkeia or self-sufficiency.
Marcus Aurelius wrote:
“You have power over your mind, not outside events.”
Conviction isn’t something you rent from others.
It has to be owned.
And if you’re watching the Italian Grand Prix today, here’s your metaphor:
When the rain hits Monza, the pack usually dives into the pits for new tyres.
But sometimes, one driver stays out.
They trust their grip, their feel of the track, their judgment, not the herd.
Sometimes it costs them.
But sometimes, that single act of conviction wins the race.
Because in Formula 1- like in leadership- the slipstream might keep you safe, but it will never make you a champion.
So How Do You Build Your Own Conviction (not borrow it)?:3 steps.
1️⃣ Define your WHY. Ask why it matters to you, not just to the group or the trend.
2️⃣ Borrow maps, not conviction. Take in perspectives- but redraw your own route. Les Brown says it well.
3️⃣ Practice ownership in small things. This week, make one decision without polling five people first.
📚 Want to go deeper? Here’s your 7-day challenge:
Pick up 2 books:
1. The Effective Board Member -Dr. Karl George, MBE book on anchoring decisions in governance, not groupthink.
2. It Worked for Me - in life and leadership, by General Colin Powell - a masterclass in turning principles into conviction, even under fire.
Read one, skim the other. By next Sunday, share one takeaway with your team.
Because here’s the truth:
Borrowed conviction might carry you into the room.
But only your own will keep you standing when the room goes quiet.
Keep growing. Keep leading.
Until next Sunday.
Let’s get it!
Steven PAUL, CDir FIoD – Reshaping boards and CEOs to lead decisively: Your boardroom compass for bold, trusted AI decisions and governance.
📳 Let me show you how. I invite you to connect with me.
♻️ Share forward, follow for more
🎥 Sunday Reset With Steven | August 31
The hidden tax you wish you dealt with.
It’s not financial.
It’s not legal.
It’s decision debt.
Every choice you delay, every option you leave hanging, accrues interest.
And you pay it in momentum.
Last week, I was invited to a private roundtable with board leaders shaping how governance must evolve in the age of AI.
Behind closed doors, one truth became clear:
Decisions don’t stall for lack of data. They stall because of fear.
Fear of being wrong.
Fear of losing face.
Fear of moving without certainty.
But here’s the paradox:
Waiting doesn’t protect you; it costs you.
Ray Dalio says:
“He who lives by the crystal ball will eat shattered glass.”
Clarity isn’t found in predicting every outcome. It’s built through principled decisions, tested and adapted in motion.
And Mel Robbins puts it even sharper:
“Hesitation kills momentum. The gap between thought and action is where fear lives.”
I Learnt This:
3 Ways to Cut Decision Debt:
1️⃣ Time-box your choices. Five seconds, five minutes, five days. Just decide!
2️⃣ Default to principles, not perfection. Dalio reminds us: principles > predictions.
3️⃣ Take the first reversible step. Jeff Bezos calls them “two-way doors.” If it’s not permanent, move!
Here’s the truth:
The longer you wait, the heavier the debt.
But the moment you act, you reclaim momentum.
📚 Two books that shaped how I decide:
1. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie - gifted to me by my brother Joe on my 18th birthday (a few decades ago!)
2. Managing Up and Across, by HBR. It’s a practical guide to influence when decisions stall.
Clarity doesn’t come from waiting.
It comes from movement.
So this week, make the call.
Clear the debt.
Step lighter.
Keep growing. Keep leading.
Until next Sunday.
Let’s get it!
Steven
🎥 Sunday Reset | 24 Aug 2025
What Serena Williams and Lewis Hamilton Know That Most Leaders Forget
It’s not their skill. It’s not their resources.
It’s this: They sharpen before they swing.
Simon Sinek tells a story I can’t get out of my head.
Two lumberjacks.
One swings his axe non-stop, all day.
The other? He takes breaks. Pauses. Sharpens his axe.
Guess who cuts more wood?
The one who stepped back.
That’s today’s reset.
Because in leadership, and in life, the pause isn’t wasted time.
It’s an investment.
And if you don’t know by know, during the week, I work with boards and leaders on some of the toughest challenges around AI, governance, and transformation.
But right now? I’m by the coast with my boy Rocky - we just spent 8am to 11am walking and running by the coast. Now we have brunch and write this as wait for our delicious meal.
See, all of this isn’t theory for me. This reset matters.
It clears my head. Resets my energy. And reminds me of a truth most leaders forget:
When you step back, you come back sharper.
And while we’re here, let’s talk about the ONE principle every champion say from Serena Williams to Lewis Hamilton -shares:
Self-belief.
Not hype. Not blind optimism.
The quiet conviction that:
✅ I can figure this out.
✅ I deserve this win.
✅ I am the kind of person who makes it happen.
“Victory begins in the mind long before the battle is seen.” -Stoic Principle
As Maya Raichoora puts it, self-belief rests on three traits:
1. Self-efficacy: Believing you can do it. Or you’ll figure it out.
2. Self-worth: Knowing you deserve the good stuff: success, joy, big wins.
3. Self-identity: Not hoping, but knowing you’re built for this.
Without it? You stall. You sabotage.
With it? You lead with calm confidence, even when the stakes are high.
So here’s your challenge this week:
Take 10 minutes. Or two hours.
Pause. Breathe.
Sharpen your axe.
Then ask yourself:
“What would it look like if I believed I was built for this?”
Because chances are, you are!
Ease isn’t weakness.
It’s power.
And it might just be the edge that gets you 10x results in the boardroom, the exec session, or that tense project meeting.
So this week: sharpen your axe, trust your alignment, and move forward with clarity.
🎥 I break it all down in this week’s Sunday Reset video. Watch it. Take it in. Share it with someone who needs the reminder (because I was reminded..)
I’m Steven.
Keep growing. Keep leading.
Until next Sunday
Let’s get it!!
🎥 Sunday Reset with Steven | 17 Aug 2025
⚡ The 5-Second Rule and the 2-Word Reset
The best leaders I know don’t wait for courage They count down to it.
And when frustration rises? They don’t fight harder. They simply let them.
As you by now know I advise boards and senior leaders navigating AI, governance, and transformation. And a reminder:
That on Sundays, I share these resets - grounded, personal, and human. Use it in life and workplace.
In this week’s Sunday Reset video, I break down two tiny but powerful tools from Mel Robbins that I’ve been testing myself:
➡️ The 5-Second Rule: When hesitation strikes, count down 5-4-3-2-1 and move.
➡️ The “Let Them” Theory: When others don’t act how you want, release the grip. Let them. And reclaim your peace.
They sound almost too simple. Yet they’ve shifted how I lead, how I work, and even how I handle tough personal moments.
Here’s why they are not theory. They’re lived.
🟦 This week, I was staring at a draft email.
Tough message. High stakes (it was to the chair of board, giving not good news, although written well).
My brain? Doing what it does best: spiralling with “what ifs.”
Instead of sinking into that mind mode, I counted back: 5-4-3-2-1… send.
The world didn’t end. In fact, the decision opened a door I’d been hesitating on for weeks.
🟦 Another moment: in a personal relationship.
Someone dear to me chose a path I didn’t agree with.
Every instinct in me wanted to jump in, explain, persuade, fix.
But then I caught myself: let them.
Let them reveal their truth. Let them walk their road.
And the weight I was carrying? Gone in seconds.
That’s the point:
➡️ The 5-4-3-2-1 countdown gets you moving when fear freezes you.
➡️ The two words “let them” release you when control grips you.
One propels action.
The other protects peace.
Together, they create a balance most leaders. And most humans, well they are desperate for: momentum without burnout, clarity without control.
So here is the challenge I leave you with this week:
Where do you need a countdown to courage?
Where do you need a release into freedom?
Sometimes, the reset you need is just 5 seconds.
Or 2 words.
Keep growing. Keep leading.
Until next Sunday.
Let’s get it.
Steven PAUL, CDir FIoD - Reshaping boards and CEOs to lead decisively: Your boardroom compass for bold, trusted AI decisions and governance.
📳 Let me show you how. I invite you to connect with me
♻️ Share forward, follow for more
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🎥 Sunday Reset with Steven | 10Aug 2025
The Storm You Didn’t See Coming
Oprah once said:
“True forgiveness is when you can say, ‘Thank you for that experience.’”
Richard Branson swears by calling first when tensions rise-because a voice reveals what words on a screen hide.
And one of my favourite CEOs once told me:
“Nine times out of ten, the thing you’re angry about isn’t actually what’s happening.”
A CEO I know lived this perfectly.
She was mid-draft on a blistering email to a partner who’d just missed a huge deadline. Every line sharpened with frustration.
Then she stopped.
Picked up the phone.
On the other end?
A full systems meltdown. Two days offline. No malice. No negligence. Just a storm they hadn’t seen coming.
Email deleted. Frustration gone. Partnership saved.
“The Unsent Email Mindset”
Before you assume intent, check the facts.
Before you hit send, make the call.
It’s not about being soft-it’s about being smart.
It preserves trust. It keeps decisions clean. And it frees your head from carrying unnecessary battles.
This weekend, I was in Birmingham with Dr Karl George,MBE. We were working on GovernAI for Boards. It’s a innovative and ultimate compass to help boards lead AI with clarity and confidence before the technology leads them. Look out for the launch in a few weeks. (I will share further in due course)
That work reminded me of another concept: Locus of Control-first defined by Julian Rotter in 1954.
▫️External locus: “This is happening to me.”
▫️Internal locus: “This is my move to make.”
The best leaders I know-CEOs, athletes, creators-default to internal.
When the market slows, they ask, What’s our play?
When a plan stalls, they ask, Where’s the pivot?
The moment you outsource responsibility for your outcomes, you hand away the power to change them.
Your reset for this week:
🎥 Sunday Reset with Steven | 3 Aug 2025
“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, defeated warriors go to war first then seek to win. —Sun Tzu
Steve Jobs called intuition “more powerful than intellect.”
Oprah built an empire on instinct.
Elon Musk says real breakthroughs come from first principles, not just borrowed models.
Three icons. Three different worlds.
One truth:
Your inner alignment isn’t a luxury-it’s the engine of your impact.
This week? That truth hit me (in many ways!)
On Sundays, I share these resets-grounded, personal, and human. No slides. Just enabling clarity. I learn, and and invite you to learn with me.
🧭 When Logic Fails, Trust the Compass Within.
This week, I ignored my gut.
Followed advice that looked right on paper-but felt off.
The result? Misalignment. Wasted time. That dull inner ache of “I knew better.”
So I reset-and leaned into two powerful frameworks:
🔹 1. Ikigai – Your Inner Compass
From Japan, Ikigai means “your reason for being.”
It’s the intersection of:
→ What you love
→ What you’re good at
→ What the world needs
→ And what you can be paid for
Pro tip: Instead of asking “What’s my purpose?”
Try: “What energises me -even when I’m exhausted?”
(📌 I’ve shared a downloadable Ikigai template + my own reflection in the comments.)
🔹 2. The Law of Preparation – Brian Tracy
“Effective performance is preceded by painstaking preparation.”
This week, I found myself rushing. Skipping steps.
Then I remembered Lincoln’s words:
“I shall study and prepare myself, and someday my chance will come.”
When I returned to prep, clarity followed.
Because preparation isn’t a delay tactic. It’s a discipline that protects your focus and flow
Yeah - the Stoic’s knew it, said it and practiced too. The warriors, well they had it in them!
You are a leader in your own right. You can too.
🏎️ From the Track to the Boardroom
At the Hungarian Grand Prix qualifiers, Ferrari brought upgrades.
Mercedes? They reverted to an older setup-just to understand what wasn’t working.
Sometimes, progress requires stepping back to recalibrate.
And Hamilton?
“We were nowhere.”
Zero excuses. Just ownership. That’s high-performance leadership.
Watch the race today…
Your prompt for the week:
Where are you outsourcing your judgment?
What decision are you delaying-while waiting for proof you don’t need?
This week. Yes this week. Trust yourself.
→ Reflect through Ikigai.
→ Prepare with intention.
→ Act from alignment.
I’m Steven.
Keep growing. Keep leading.
Until next Sunday
Let’s get it. 🏁
Intro music credit: Pina Colada /EnjoyMusic
Steven PAUL, CDir FIoD Reshaping boards and CEOs to lead decisively – with AI transformation and strategic corporate governance at the core.
♻️ Share forward, follow for more and let's connect.
🎥 Sunday Reset with Steven – 27 July 2025
A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. — Lao Tzu
McConaughey once disappeared to the desert because fame left him empty.
Lewis Hamilton? He still talks about needing solitude to reset his mind between races.
🚦 Stuck in First Gear? Don’t Push Harder -Shift Smarter.
You know the feeling.
Your rhythm’s on point. Morning routine clicks. Focus is dialled in.
Then suddenly - nothing.
You are dragging. The basics feel heavy.
You're not broken… but you're not accelerating either.
Welcome to first gear - that strange space between burnout and flow.
And yes, I’ve been there too -this week, in fact.
Hey there again - I am Steven.
I work with boards and senior leaders around the world, helping them navigate AI business transformation and change, unlock clarity, and lead in a fast-changing AI landscape.
But every Sunday, I pause the strategy decks and tune in here -with you -for something more personal:
A reset for the human behind the leader. And you are a leader.
This week, I leaned on a simple 3-step playbook to climb out of my fog. It’s still there, but I can see better:
🛑 Step 1: Hit the Brakes
I love this one (because it’s common with all of us)
“If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.” — Warren Buffett
When things stall, we tend to grind harder. But clarity rarely comes through force.
Real rest isn’t just sleep. It’s emotional, sensory, and social recalibration.
Ditch the self-judgement. Let the system cool.
🔁 Step 2: Reset the Direction. Or Redirect
Ask yourself:
→ Is my current environment feeding growth-or fatigue?
→ Am I operating from my future self-or yesterday’s script?
Sometimes progress starts with changing the room, the rhythm, or the internal radio.
⚙️ Step 3: Create Just Enough Motion
“The key is not to prioritise what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” — Stephen Covey
Waiting to feel ready? That’s the trap.
Start tiny:
→ 15-minute walk
→ Open the doc
→ Send one message to potential client
→ One clear, clean step.
Because motion builds momentum-not motivation.
Ok another one.
📚 Still planning endlessly?
You might be stuck in research loop mode-another way resistance shows up.
Try the Feynman Technique:
(brilliant physicist, Nobel Prize winner)
He shared:
→ Write your idea.
→ Teach it simply. (Like to 5 year old) hi
→ Find what’s the grey area.
→ Refine. Act.
Clarity leads. Confidence follows.
🏁 Belgian Grand Prix: Sprint Weekend
Less time. More pressure. Fast decisions.
Like life, there’s no perfect prep- just bold starts and mid-race adjustments.
My prompt to you:
What are you “almost ready” to start-but still haven’t?
What would shift if you just began-without certainty, without polish?
Start small.
Start messy.
Just start.
This is your #SundayReset.
I’m Steven.
Keep growing. Keep leading.
Until next Sunday.
Let’s get it!
—Steven
Credit: Intro Music: Time. Musician: jiglr
“If you calm your own mind and discern the inner minds of others, that may be called the foremost art of war.” — Shiba Yoshimasa
Elon Musk launches rockets.
Taylor Swift reinvents herself every album.
Neither clings to “what used to work.”
But most of us? We stay stuck—
Not because we don’t learn new things…
But because we struggle to unlearn the old.
As mental fitness expert Maya Raichoora puts it:
“Resilience isn’t rigidity. It’s Mind Flex—the ability to switch gears with intention, awareness, and range.”
Think of it like a gearbox for the mind.
You don’t drive the same way uphill, downhill, or through rain.
Why would you lead the same way in every situation?
That hit me this week.
I’m Steven.
During the week, I work with boards and executive teams around the world—helping them lead and transform in the age of AI.
These #SundayReset sessions? They’re where we cut through noise and sharpen what’s human.
Let me share a story:
🧩 The Parable of the Blind Men and the Elephant — a Buddhist lesson from 500 B.C.
Each blind man touches a different part of the elephant and forms a “truth”:
→ A trunk? Must be a snake.
→ A tusk? A spear.
→ A leg? A tree.
→ An ear? A fan.
→ The side? A wall.
→ The tail? A rope.
They’re all partially right. But none have the full picture.
Sound familiar?
We all act from fragments.
Opinions disguised as facts.
But what if they’re not wrong… just holding a different part of the elephant?
You’ve got two choices:
🅐 Cling to certainty.
🅑 Or have the courage to evolve your view.
As David Foster Wallace said:
“A huge percentage of the stuff I tend to be automatically certain of is, it turns out, totally wrong and deluded.”
Truth isn’t in the shouting.
It’s in the shifting.
💡 The strongest leaders I know?
They move like warriors—but think like learners.
They ask:
🛡️ What if I didn’t see this clearly before?
🧭 What do they know that I don’t?
Mark Twain nailed it:
“It ain't what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”
So here’s your challenge this week:
📌 What have you changed your mind on recently?
📌 And what belief are you still clinging to that might need retiring?
Because growth isn’t polishing old beliefs.
It’s having the courage to replace the ones that no longer serve you.
🌱 Change your lens. Change your life.
I’m Steven.
Keep growing. Keep leading.
Until next Sunday.
Let’s get it.
🎥 Sunday Reset with Steven – 13 July 2025
“It’s better to be a tiger for one day than a sheep for a thousand years.” -Tibetan Maxim
Here’s a vision for you:
Elon Musk doesn’t wait for perfect conditions to launch rockets.
Beyoncé doesn’t ask permission before dropping an album.
Richard Branson doesn’t wait for certainty before starting a new business.
They move.
Meanwhile, many of us stay stuck- thinking. Re-thinking. Waiting for the perfect moment.
And to remind: These Sunday resets? They’re a space to breathe, reflect, and sharpen your human edge.
This week, I found myself wrestling with my own tendency to overthink.
Iam naturally spontaneous and decisive. But even I slip into “analysis mode”- trying to map every risk, every scenario, before taking the first step.
And you know what I’ve learned the hard way?
While you’re mapping… life is moving.
So here’s a 3 part formula, honed in from my own mentors and my journeys, and I share with leaders I work with:
1️⃣ The decision matters less than the actions that follow.
A decision is just a single spark. The fire comes from the actions you stack on top of it.
The best leaders don’t wait for perfect choices. They choose -and then keep choosing, refining through action, and maintaining a high inner energy.
2️⃣ Trust your adaptability -not just your plans.
Mike Tyson once said:
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”
Planning is good. But your real superpower is your ability to pivot when the unexpected hits.
This week, I was in the thick of a fast-moving project. We launched quickly, hit unforeseen barriers -but adapted because the team stayed connected, creative, and calm. (Yes there were conflicts too, and we returned to the goal!)
And as Les Brown reminds us:
“If you don’t program yourself, life will program you. Draw your own map.”
Overthinking waits for someone else’s map. Leadership is grabbing your own pen.
3️⃣ Most decisions are reversible.
Jeff Bezos breaks decisions into two types:
Type 1 → One-way doors. Big, high-stakes, hard to reverse.
Type 2 → Two-way doors. Lower stakes. Easy to reverse.
Most decisions? They’re two-way doors.
Try it!
If it doesn’t work out, you can pivot, adjust, and move forward stronger.
This connects with a principle I love from Daniel Priestley Oversubscribed:
“People want to join movements, not just buy products.”
Momentum is magnetic.
Waiting for perfect clarity? That’s how businesses-and people -get left behind - in life and business.
“The world rewards those who ship. Not those who endlessly overthink”
So here’s my prompt for you this week:
🔷 What’s one decision you’ve been overthinking… that you could simply act on today?
Because hey .. Tigers change their world -even for a day.
And overthinking? It won’t build your future. Only action will.
Yes, with inspired action combined with higher inner vibration.
This is your hashtag#SundayReset.
I’m Steven.
Keep growing. Keep leading.
Until next Sunday.
Let’s get it!
Sunday Reset July 6 2025
🎥 Sunday Reset with Steven – 5 July 2025
Soil, Circles or Spirals? Think of Oprah. Cristiano Ronaldo. Lady Gaga.
Ever wonder why some people shine for decades - while others burn bright, then fade?
It’s not just talent.
It’s the soil they’re planted in.
→ The people around them.
→ The habits they nurture.
→ The spaces they create for their own growth.
Because greatness isn’t just what’s in you.
It’s also where you’re planted.
This week, a story kept echoing in my mind- the Parable of the Sower from the Gospel of Matthew:
A farmer plants seeds.
Some fall on rocky ground - no roots.
Some fall among thorns - choked out.
But some fall on good soil - and produce an abundant harvest.
Even the best seeds can’t thrive in the wrong ground.
I felt it myself this week - pushing hard on certain goals, yet spinning my wheels.
A friend shared a new perspective on Thursday when I met them for lunch:
Picture a spiral staircase.
Sometimes, it feels like you’re just going in circles.
Same steps. Same views.
But zoom out - and you’ll see:
Every turn lifts you higher.
→ Even if it doesn’t feel like progress right now.
🎬 Denzel Washington once said:
“Ease is a greater threat to progress than hardship.”
And here’s my take:
A certain kind of ease matters -the kind that keeps you in a higher energetic state. Calm. Focused. Clear.
→ When you’re in that vibration, you make better decisions.
→ You avoid chaos and climb your spiral instead of running in circles.
Your environment - the soil you’re planted in- either lifts you up the spiral… or keeps you circling at the same level.
Here’s my prompt for your week:
Are you stuck in circles - or slowly rising on your spiral?
Because progress often hides where you least expect it.
And your roots - and your mission -deserve good soil.
This is your #SundayReset.
I’m Steven.
Keep growing. Keep leading.
Until next Sunday.
Let’s get it!
♻️ Share forward, follow for more and let's connect.
🎥 Sunday Reset with Steven - 22 June 2025
Even Sheryl Sandberg.
Even Jonny Wilkinson.
Even Rick Rubin.
They’ve all said the same thing:
Sometimes… they crack.
Not because they’re weak -
But because they care. Deeply.
And this week? I cracked too.
Not dramatically.
Just enough to remind me: Leadership isn’t a performance. It’s pressure.
🎥 This Sunday Reset is personal.
Yesterday 21 June was the Summer Solstice - the longest day of the year.
It also marked a quiet, meaningful milestone in my life.
And it made me reflect on something I turn to often:
The Stockdale Paradox.
“Never lose faith in the end of the story...
But confront the most brutal facts of your current reality.” - Admiral James Stockdale
“I had to face facts, not just dreams. But never let go of hope.” - Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
Both men lived the same truth:
Real leadership lives in the tension between brutal reality and unwavering belief.
That’s it.
The core of real leadership.
Hope and truth. Together.
Jim Collins found it in every company that made the leap from Good to Great.
And I see it in every transformation I help lead eg with boards, with AI, with people.
Here’s what happened this week.
I lost composure in a discussion with someone - let’s say : robotically wired.
All logic. No empathy. No awareness of tone.
But after reflecting, I realised:
They weren’t being difficult.
They were being them. Through their lens.
That’s when Erin Meyer’s The Culture Map came to mind.
“What sounds rude in one culture sounds clear in another.”
This doesn’t just apply to nations.
It applies to teams. To boards. To every room you walk into.
ReLearn with me:
So here are 3 shifts I use when conversations feel like collisions:
1️⃣ Pre-frame curiosity.
Say: “Help me understand how you’re seeing this.”
2️⃣ Default to context.
Ask: “Is this delivery… or design?”
Culture isn’t personal - it’s patterned.
3️⃣ Don’t take a scalpel to a screwdriver job.
Where logic fails, use story.
Where bluntness cuts, translate, don’t retreat.
📌 Quote I’m sitting with this week:
“You must never confuse faith that you will prevail…
with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality.” By Stockdale
My prompt for your week:
🧭 Where are you leading with only one lens- is it logic or emotion, performance or presence?
And what would happen if you held both?
This is your Sunday Reset.
I’m Steven.
Keep growing. Keep leading.
Until next Sunday.
Let’s get it!
Steven PAUL, CDir FIoD – Reshaping boards and CEOs to lead decisively – with AI transformation and strategic corporate governance at the core.
♻️ Share forward, follow for more and let's connect.
🎥 Sunday Reset with Steven – 15 Jun 25
Ryan Reynolds runs multiple businesses. Keanu Reeves is known not for speed, but for stillness.
Neither are rushing.
They’re moving deliberately. And that’s why they win.
This week, after two high-intensity events, deep conversations, and a coaching session that hit hard. I was reminded of a Navy SEAL principle:
🟡 “Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.”
Let that land.
Because sometimes, the next level in your leadership isn’t about more intensity.
It’s about more clarity.
This week’s reset includes:
▫️A martial arts parable on why trying to master faster only slows you down
▫️A lesson from Josh Waitzkin on training stillness under pressure
▫️Boardroom insights from governance and trust events
▫️Personal moments that mattered more than any strategy slide
▫️5 micro-actions to build a sustainable rhythm in your leadership week
“Board Governance isn’t red tape; it’s the red thread that holds everything together”
That was my share during a panel this week.
In your meetings, ask: “What are we here to protect, enable, and model?”
That ONE question resets everything.
At another event on Trust and Leadership in a Changing World, I heard great insights from trusted partners via panel session.
I stood beside friends who’ve seen me through it all- good and hard.
And that reminded me of this:
Proximity is power. Presence is everything. My friends, family (and my little boy Rocky) are everything to me. Happy Father’s Day to people like us ;)
Ok let’s talk about Gen AI for a second.
Its biggest risk?
It’s not just what it automates- it’s what it erodes. Think about it and reposition yourself!:
- It teaches us to second-guess ourselves.
- To ask the model before we trust the mirror.
- To chase output and skip intuition.
Leadership begins where automation ends.
With judgement. Courage. Presence.
Let’s not forget that.
My coach said to me:
“Steven: life isn’t short. It’s very, very long. But we make it short by sprinting through it.”
So this week, I’m building this rhythm:
1️⃣ Unitask on purpose - One thing at a time
2️⃣ Take micro-breaks - Have 25-min /45-min meetings
3️⃣ Walk + reflect - Motion clears mental noise
4️⃣ Say no to noise - Protect your best time
5️⃣ Find your ocean - A space to renew, daily
This isn’t soft.
It’s strategic.
I challenge you to learn with me, this week!
📌 “He who hurries has delayed the things that are urgent.” - Seneca
My prompt for your week:
What decision, conversation, or habit are you rushing - when what it really needs… is your presence?
This is your Sunday Reset.
Watch the video. Breathe. Reflect.
Then slow it down - and make it count.
Keep growing. Keep leading.
Until next Sunday.
Let’s get it.
Steven PAUL, CDir FIoD – reshaping Boards and CEO Exec teams in the era of AI for successful transformation and board governance.
♻️ Share forward, follow for more and let's connect.
🎥 Sunday Reset with Steven – 8 June 2025
“You’re Not Afraid of Failing. You’re Afraid of What Happens If It Works.”
Most people think fear holds them back.
Fear of failing. Fear of judgment. Fear of getting it wrong. Happens to me too.
But this week, I had a different realisation:
What if we’re not afraid to fail… we’re afraid to succeed?
To grow beyond what’s familiar.
To actually get the outcome we say we want.
📚 Abraham Maslow once said:
“We fear our highest possibilities… We thrill to godlike potential …and yet we shiver before it.”
I felt that this week - not in crisis, but in a decision moment.
The initiative I am on was ready to scale. The pushback?
"Let’s not overreach."
But was that risk management… or fear of thriving?
In those moments, I ask teams:
“What would we do if we weren’t afraid of succeeding too fast?”
It changes the room.
Then came a reminder I carry with me every week:
👉🏽 The Starfish Story (it’s an adaptation of Loren Eisley).
One boy. One small act.
Too many challenges to solve - but he still threw one starfish back into the ocean.
"I made a difference to that one."
That’s the real leadership shift.
Tiny actions. Big momentum.
Because you don’t change your life in a day—but you do change your days.
And eventually, that changes everything.
Here’s what moved me most this week:
A board committee member who finally spoke up after staying silent for weeks.
A quiet nudge that helped someone back their own voice.
No slides. No strategy.
Just human courage in real time.
That’s what leadership looks like.
📌 “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”
- Marianne Williamson
Prompt for your week:
What’s your starfish?
What’s one small, human action you can take—today—that might not change the world, but could change someone’s day?
More in the video - check it out.
This is your hashtag#SundayReset.
I’m Steven.
Keep growing. Keep leading.
Until next Sunday.
Let’s get it!
Steven PAUL, CDir FIoD – shaping boards and CxO Exec teams in the era of AI for successful transformation. Sharing a decade of strategic global boardroom actionable insights on effectiveness, Gen AI, leadership, innovation and growth.
♻️ Share forward, follow for more and let's connect
🎥 Sunday Reset with Steven – 1 June 2025
“What Tom Cruise, Serena Williams, and AI Can Teach You About Grit”
What do they have in common?
They don’t stop at 40%.
Tom does his own stunts—at 62.
Serena plays through pain and pressure—year after year.
And Former Navy SEAL, Goggins? He calls it the 40/60 Rule:
“When you think you’re done, you’re only 40% tapped out.”
That hit me—not in a gym, but in the middle of late-night strategy, high-stakes M&A meetings, and planning for a transformation that’s about to go live.
FYI I lead three portfolio roles. So it’s intense.
This week in one of the intense emotionally charged go live prep meetings, I paused and asked our task force:
What behaviours will keep us grounded when the next 8 hours go off-script?
Because when things get operationally complex, leadership needs to get emotionally simple.
And that’s the power of grit.
I am reminding myself. And I am reminding you.
Here’s what I’ve observed in the tower and engine room:
The top performers I work with—CEOs, boards, founders—aren’t necessarily the most brilliant.
They’re the most disciplined.
They train themselves to push past the first wave of surrender.
→ When the room gets tense, they breathe slower.
→ When the data overwhelms, they ask better questions.
→ When AI surfaces 100 insights, they choose 1 wisely.
And that’s the paradox of modern leadership:
We're surrounded by AI and automation, yet the edge lies in stoic focus, rhythm, and composure.
This week, Paris Saint Germain made UEFA Champions League history.
A 5–0 masterclass.
Not just flair—but fierce, grounded teamwork.
That’s not motivation. That’s systemised grit.
So here’s my Sunday prompt to you:
What’s one mental habit you can strengthen this week—so when pressure rises, you don’t break… you lead?
Maybe it’s:
Starting your day without your phone.
Saying no faster.
Speaking less in a meeting, but listening more.
Whatever it is—
Let this new month be your moment to reset.
📌 “You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realise this, and you will find strength.” — Marcus Aurelius
I’m Steven. This is your hashtag#SundayReset.
Keep growing. Keep leading.
Until next Sunday.
Let’s get it!
Steven PAUL, CDir FIoD – shaping boards and CxO Exec teams in the era of AI for successful transformation. Sharing a decade of strategic global boardroom actionable insights on effectiveness, Gen AI, leadership, innovation and growth.
♻️ Share forward, follow for more and let's connect.
2 min video
Narrated by James Sterling and Sophia Blake c/o notebooklm
This 30-minute session, led by AI transformation expert Steven Paul, provides CEOs and executives and Boards with concise insights on avoiding AI implementation failures.
Sponsored by Freshriver.ai, this sharp, focused, and interactive live discussion earlier today, was a 30-minute, rapid-fire, no-fluff conversation series to discover how to navigate the challenges of AI transformations and maximise ROI. Thanks to the 19 leaders who graciously attended the session their busy schedules, and provided some thought provoking insights (some of which I had not considered!).
The session highlights real-world examples of AI project failures—including those from Microsoft, McDonald's, and Uber—to illustrate common challenges.
These challenges include a lack of clear strategy, poor data readiness, workforce resistance, unrealistic expectations, and ethical concerns. The session offers practical solutions and tools for success, such as implementing ethical AI frameworks and investing in employee training. Finally, it promotes continued engagement through future sessions on related AI topics.
In this episode, we welcome Stephania Di Bartolomeo, CEO and Founder of Physis Investment based in Boston, USA. Stephania leads Physis, an investment business platform that provides investors with innovative investment solutions, sustainable investing opportunities and having a portfolio that can have more than just a financial impact. Imagine that!
We will hear about Stephania and her journey and learn about
✅ Her vision to bring greater transparency to the financial industry, and other sectors.
✅ How she helps investors understand, track, and measure the impact of their portfolios
✅ How she transforms her quant-humanist dedication to female empowerment and sustainable investing
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Key Links:
1) Book a Podcast with Steven Paul: https://www.leadershipexpose.com/apply-to-be-guest/
2) Leadership Exposé Academy: https://www.leadershipexpose.com/programs/
3) Unshakeable Resilience (Thrive in Crisis. Lead Through Challenge and Opportunities): https://leadershipexpose-academy.thinkific.com/courses/Unshakeable-Resilience
4) Download a FREE guide on Strategy and Leadership: https://stevenpaul.info/coaching-optin/
In this edition, we welcome Shiv Paul, CEO of Caprihan Consulting, based in the UK. Shiv has lived in several countries, and previously partnered with top tier management consulting firms and businesses. He brings mastery in the areas of diversity, inclusion and change. Shiv is a speaker, and also holds various board roles.
We will hear about Shiv – his journey, pivotal moments of where aligned with his authentic self, and learn
✅ Insights on the diverse components of inclusion, change and transformation
✅ How businesses can implement, adopt and embed this in a positive way
✅ How he shifts the changes in behaviours, processes, culture and structure for businesses to be successful
******//******//******//******//******//******//******//******//******//******//******//******//
Key Links:
1) Book a Podcast with Steven Paul: https://www.leadershipexpose.com/apply-to-be-guest/
2) Leadership Exposé Academy: https://www.leadershipexpose.com/programs/
3) Unshakeable Resilience (Thrive in Crisis. Lead Through Challenge and Opportunities): https://leadershipexpose-academy.thinkific.com/courses/Unshakeable-Resilience
4) Download a FREE guide on Strategy and Leadership: https://stevenpaul.info/coaching-optin/
