Why Silence Is the New Leadership Style
Written by: Jack Riewoldt
Imagine yourself in this moment: you’re standing at the top of Tasmania’s Mount Fortescue. The ocean is stretching out before you in every direction. The cool afternoon breeze is brushing your face and for the first time in three days, your mind is still. There’s no phone in your hand, no email pinging in the background, no meeting to rush to—just you, your team, and the serene surroundings of one of Australia’s most breathtaking outdoor locations.
While every immersion at ALG is different, they all include an hour-long silent walk. A moment where the only sound is the gentle rustling of trees and the quiet crunch of boots against the earth. It’s a transformative experience, not just for individuals but for entire teams. Guided by expert facilitators, each of our multi-day experiences offers something unique. No two immersions are alike, yet they all share the common goal of deepening personal and professional connections while leading you toward something unexpected: silence and stillness of the mind.
Leaders aren’t meant to have all the answers
As leaders or those immersed in fast-paced environments, there’s an expectation that we should always have the right answers. In meetings, emails, and presentations, we are constantly pushed to deliver solutions on the spot. And that pressure to perform and produce never really lets up. But what happens when the answers don’t come?
It’s common for leaders to struggle to find clarity in the rush of the day-to-day. The mind is overloaded with information and demands, and is often flicking from one thought to the next. It can feel like it’s working at 180km/hour. For this reason, the answers we seek can stay out of reach, lost in the hundreds of decisions we need to make each week. It’s no surprise clarity feels so fleeting when we live in a constant state of information overload.
Enter: the leadership style of silence
So, how does silence fit into this picture? Silence creates space—both mentally and emotionally. It allows leaders to pause, reflect, and create a moment where clear thoughts can come to the forefront. Silence isn’t passive; it’s active. It allows the noise to die down and makes room for what really matters. Silence is your superpower.
When we embrace silence as part of our leadership style, we open a window to clarity. We create an environment where the mind slows down. We give ourselves the space to finally focus. And ultimately, our thoughts become more intentional. In that space of quiet, answers that felt like far off concepts often rise to the surface, clear and actionable.
Silence also provides a space where others can step forward. As leaders, we don’t always have to speak first or have the final word. Sometimes the best leadership style is to remain silent and allow others in the team to contribute, think, and process a situation. At the end of the day, silence gives us the opportunity to reflect, consider all perspectives, and ultimately make more informed decisions.
The power of a silent walk
On ALG immersions, we emphasise the importance of silence through various activities, including our signature silent walk. On the afternoon of Day 3, as participants stand at the top of Mount Fortescue, they begin a silent, hour-long descent, without digital notifications or distractions. It may sound simple—just walking in silence—but the effects can be game changing. Especially when you pair it with nature, and the effect that connecting with nature has on the mind.
The practice of immersing oneself in a forest environment to promote physical and mental wellbeing is by no means a new concept. Often referred to as forest bathing, this form of nature therapy was developed in Japan in the 1980s and—as you’d imagine—comes with a plethora of health benefits: stress reduction, improved mood and cognitive function, lowered blood pressure and heart rate, and a boosted immune system to name a few.
Forest bathing can not only bring to the forefront things that might have been previously overlooked, it allows us to look inward, through the practice of mindfulness—something that can be easily lost in the busyness of everyday life.
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