We live in a world that rewards efficiency. Every moment feels like it should produce something, especially when you’re a leader with a packed schedule and a plane to catch.
But what happens when you stop treating every interaction as an interruption?
Gayle Lantz shares a memorable encounter with a stranger on a flight to Orlando, a conversation she almost avoided that turned into an unexpected reminder of what a real human connection can unlock. Unexpected inspiration and gratitude.
As Gayle puts it, “Not every meaningful moment is efficient, and not every valuable experience looks productive.”
She also reflects on a personal practice she recently committed to: a structured weekly reflection experience that challenged her assumptions about how much deliberate pause time she actually needed and what it gave back to her in return.
Great leaders don’t just manage time. They notice people. They create emotional presence. And they know that connection isn’t a distraction from life; it is life.
This episode is a gentle challenge to slow down, look up, and try a little radical listening of your own.
This episode covers:
- Why we instinctively resist unplanned conversations and what we lose because of it
- The leadership case for human connection and intentional presence
- What a weekly reflection practice revealed about the value of deliberate pausing
- Why airports used to create natural pauses and what we’ve lost by turning them into mobile offices
Gayle also suggests a simple challenge to experiment with radical listening this week.
