It wasn’t the crisis that unravelled the team; it was what happened after. When the product recall ended and the public statements were issued, leadership at a mid-sized tech firm assumed it was time to move on. But beneath the surface, anxiety lingered. Meetings grew tense. Creativity slowed. A senior executive resigned unexpectedly, citing burnout. The CEO was puzzled. “We have handled the crisis. Why are we falling apart now?”
The answer, as it turns out, lies in something most leaders overlook: the critical space between high-pressure moments. The lull. The calm after the storm. The part no one talks about but everyone feels.
“ And when leaders fail to engage it, they miss a critical opportunity to reinforce trust, restore energy, and reorient direction.”
In leadership and life, we often rush to fill every moment with action. Yet, there are times when momentum pauses not in defeat but in anticipation. This is what’s called a lull: a temporary calm between waves of activity, especially following or preceding a period of intense activity, noise, or turbulence. It can feel unsettling to some, but for the wise leader, a lull is not a loss; it is an invitation.
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In the context of leadership or organisational dynamics, a lull often happens after a major project launch or crisis, in the transition between two growth phases, when external pressure eases but internal clarity hasn’t returned, or during a pause in decision-making or direction. While it might feel unproductive or even awkward, a lull is a decisive moment for recalibration, rest, reflection, and quiet progress. Wise leaders use lulls not as gaps to be rushed through but as opportunities to recentre, reconnect, and recharge their teams before the next surge of work.
In last week’s article, we explored how intentional silence creates space for clarity and connection. This week, we build on that foundation by examining the quiet stretches between the loud chapters of leadership. These in-between seasons, whether after a product launch, organisational change, crisis, or even rapid growth, are deceptively powerful. They either make room for recalibration or become breeding grounds for disillusionment.
The truth is many leaders are conditioned to equate progress with noise. Action. Motion. Updates. When that slows down, so does their sense of purpose. But leadership isn’t just about managing crises or driving sprints; it is about mastering transitions. The lull is not dead air. It is fertile ground. And when leaders fail to engage it, they miss a critical opportunity to reinforce trust, restore energy, and reorient direction.
Research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology shows that organisational performance often dips not during a crisis but shortly after one when leadership energy wanes and ambiguity peaks. In other words, your greatest threat to cohesion may come after you think the “hard part” is over.
One Fortune 500 company learnt this the hard way. After executing a massive digital transformation, leadership celebrated early wins and returned to business as usual. Within months, employee engagement scores plummeted. A consultant later discovered what the human resources unit couldn’t name: employees were emotionally depleted, unsure about their new roles, and left with no space to make sense of the shift.
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The missed moment wasn’t in the strategy. It was in the stillness that followed. No recalibration. No honest debrief. No structured stillness.
By contrast, another firm that had navigated a difficult merger took a different approach. In the month following the transition, leaders held “quiet weeks” periods where the only agenda was to listen, learn, and check the pulse. These weren’t just cosmetic check-ins. They were structured pauses to assess psychological safety, gather real feedback, and give teams space to breathe. Productivity didn’t dip; it soared.
Leading through lulls is less about doing more and more about tuning in. The most effective leaders treat these periods as the soul of their leadership rhythm. Here is how they do it:
They normalise stillness. Not every moment needs to be filled with a new goal. Leaders who model calmness in transition teach their teams to embrace reflection without guilt.
They ask better questions. During the lull, instead of charging ahead, they pause and ask, “What are we learning right now?” “What isn’t being said?” “What needs repair?”
They hold space for processing. Sometimes, teams don’t need a new strategy; they need to talk about how the last one affected them. A listening circle, an anonymous feedback loop, or a facilitated debrief can uncover gold.
They recharge the culture. Leaders use this time to reinforce values, highlight unsung heroes, and reconnect the team to purpose. It is not about activity, it is about alignment.
They rehearse the future. Lulls are the perfect time to scenario-plan. What would we do if…? How do we build capacity for the next wave?
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If you are a leader, don’t just focus on the storms or the high notes. Tune in to the stillness between them. That is where alignment is rebuilt. That is where fatigue is either healed or ignored until it becomes discontent. And that is where future success is either seeded or sacrificed.
Your team is not just watching how you lead in chaos. They are watching who you become in calm. So, this week, resist the urge to “fill the silence.” Instead, honour the lull. Sit with your team. Reflect. Ask the questions that performance reviews never cover. Celebrate resilience without demanding another sprint. Let the quiet do its work.
Because in the stillness between storms, real leadership shows up.
About the author
Dr Toye Sobande is a strategic leadership expert, executive coach, lawyer, public speaker, and trainer. He is the CEO of Stephens Leadership Consultancy LLC, a strategy and management consulting firm offering creative insight and solutions to businesses and leaders. Email: contactme@toyesobande.com
