The Power of Presence: Sometimes Just Showing Up Is Leading
- Mitch Takefman
- Sep 6
- 3 min read
“I don’t need to be in this meeting,” I told my manager. “You’ve got this handled.”
But they insisted. “I really want you there.”
So I showed up.
And then I did something that felt completely counterintuitive: I stayed quiet. For nearly the entire hour, I listened as they handled the client meeting with skill and confidence. I offered maybe two sentences the whole time. When it was over, they thanked me profusely. The client seemed more at ease. The deal moved forward.
What happened in that room wasn’t about my expertise or my input. It was about my presence.
This taught me something profound about leadership that goes against everything we’re taught about adding value and being productive. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is simply be there. Fully there. Not to fix, not to control, not to demonstrate how smart we are. Just to show up with our full attention and let our presence do the work.
Here’s what I’ve learned presence actually looks like in practice: You walk into a room and people feel steadier. You listen to someone’s problem without immediately jumping to solutions. You absorb the energy of a situation before reacting to it. You create space for others to be their best selves instead of trying to be the star of every scene.
But let’s be honest about what gets in the way. My ego wants to prove I belong in that room by speaking up, by adding my brilliant insights, by problem-solving faster than anyone else. The voice in my head says, “If you’re not talking, what value are you adding?”
That voice is wrong.
Real presence requires us to get out of our own way. It means resisting the urge to fill every silence, to have the last word, to be the one with all the answers. It means trusting that sometimes our greatest contribution is creating the conditions for others to shine.
This doesn’t mean being passive or checking out. Present leadership is actually incredibly active. You’re reading the room. You’re picking up on what people aren’t saying. You’re noticing who needs encouragement and who needs space. You’re tracking the emotional undercurrents that others might miss because they’re too busy performing.
When you’re truly present, people feel it. They stand a little taller. They speak more honestly. They take bigger risks because they sense you’re there to catch them if they fall, not to judge them if they stumble.
Start practicing this today. In your next meeting, resist the urge to be the first one to speak. Ask a question and then really listen to the answer without formulating your response while they’re talking. When someone comes to you with a problem, try saying “Tell me more about that” instead of jumping straight to solutions.
Pay attention to your breathing. Notice when you’re holding your breath or breathing shallow because you’re stressed or trying too hard. Deep, calm breathing isn’t just good for you; it signals to everyone around you that it’s safe to relax into the conversation.
Watch what happens when you give someone your undivided attention. Put the phone face down. Close the laptop. Look them in the eyes. See how the quality of the interaction shifts when they know they have all of you, not just the part that isn’t distracted by your next meeting.
The most memorable leaders aren’t always the loudest ones in the room. They’re the ones who make you feel like you’re the only person who matters when they’re talking to you. They’re the ones whose presence creates possibility rather than pressure.
Your presence is a leadership tool as powerful as any strategy or skill set. It builds trust without saying a word. It creates psychological safety without formal policies. It demonstrates confidence without grandstanding.
Some days, showing up with your full attention and steady energy is the most important work you’ll do.
That meeting where I stayed mostly quiet? My manager felt more confident, felt heard and respected. The client witnessed a cohesive team at work. Sometimes that’s the real win.
Next week, we’ll explore how embracing vulnerability can actually strengthen your leadership and create deeper connections with your team.
