Focus, Energy, and Purpose: Self-Management in Times of Change

This week’s Culture Exchange centered on a topic that feels especially timely and personal: Self-Management for Leaders, framed through the lens of Focus, Energy, and Purpose.

We began by grounding ourselves in a shared definition:

Self-management is showing up in ways that align with your values and desired impact, while managing your internal state to be present, focused, and intentional—even in moments of challenge.

From there, we explored the three pillars of this model:

• Focus: Where is your attention going, and is it aligned with your priorities?
  
  
• Energy: What’s fueling you right now? What drains or replenishes you?
  
  
• Purpose: Are your actions connected to something meaningful and clear?
  
  

The Current State: Worn Thin but Deeply Rooted

Participants, representing organizations from across the U.S., shared candid reflections about their current states. Universally, people acknowledge that focus and energy feel depleted or difficult to manage. Many described a near-constant sense of cognitive overload, with attention pulled in too many directions and not enough time to recharge.

And yet, there was something striking and hopeful beneath that exhaustion: a strong and unwavering sense of purpose. Despite the drain, people are still deeply anchored in their “why.” That purpose—whether it’s supporting students, serving communities, or advocating for inclusion—remains a consistent source of strength.

Re-Centering in Real Time

We talked through small, practical practices for self-management—tools that can serve as handholds in uncertain terrain:

• Re-centering focus: Try narrowing down to 1–2 top priorities per day. Ask: What will move the needle? What’s essential right now?
  
  
• Restoring energy: Take short walks, practice deep breathing, or build intentional pauses into your calendar—even five minutes between meetings can help reset your nervous system.
  
  
• Reaffirming purpose: Revisit your personal or professional "why." Even rereading a mission statement or reflecting on a moment when you felt proud of your impact can reconnect you to meaning.
  
  

These strategies don’t require massive behavior shifts. They're about returning to yourself—again and again—with grace and discipline.

Holding Space for Different Responses to Change

As the discussion unfolded, another theme emerged: we’re all in different places when it comes to navigating change.

Some participants spoke of still being in shock, unsure of what’s next. Others expressed eagerness to begin scenario planning, while a few admitted to feeling helpless—stuck waiting for leadership to signal the next move. We acknowledged that no single path forward fits everyone, and that giving ourselves and one another permission to be in different stages is essential.

But we also explored a gentle invitation: for those who feel ready, even in small ways, now is the time to begin exploring possibilities. Perhaps the best way to move through fear, paralysis, and uncertainty is to simply take one step—and then another.

Scenario Planning as a Tool for Reclaiming Agency

Importantly, we clarified that scenario planning is not about accepting worst-case outcomes as inevitable. Instead, it’s a structured and imaginative exercise—one that asks us to explore extreme possibilities and imagine the impact of each. What would this future mean for our work, our people, our purpose?

Engaging in this type of thinking can be incredibly grounding, especially when done in a group. In the context of the Culture Exchange, participants came from a cross-section of organizations—a diversity of sectors, sizes, and structures. This mattered. It allowed the conversation to break free from the mental models that often dominate internal discussions. Phrases like “how things work here” or “what we’ll be allowed to do” didn’t have the same weight. Instead, we got to imagine without those constraints.

This kind of cross-boundary conversation is what Culture Exchange is built for.

The Invitation

A 45-minute connection isn’t enough time to do the deep dive that self-management and organizational change truly require. But it’s a start.

If you’re one of the many leaders feeling low on energy, unsure where to place your focus, or paralyzed by the weight of uncertainty—know that you’re not alone. And know that action doesn’t have to be big to be meaningful.

Take one step. Reclaim one moment of focus. Breathe deeply. Reconnect to purpose.
From there, we move forward—together. Join us at an upcoming Culture Exchange, and become a member of CultureRoad–our ongoing community of practice that equips us with the tools, confidence and community needed to navigate change.