Your body knows before your brain does. The question is: are you listening?

I want to tell you about the time I ignored my nervous system’s wisdom and paid the price. And how that experience became on of the greatest teachers about what authentic leadership actually looks like.

The Reg Flags My Body Saw First

A while back, I invested in a program led by someone who has authority, who is know as a leader in their industry. I had worked with them before and that experience was solid. So when they launched something new, I said yes without my usual sacred pause.

But here is what happened:

The sessions that were supposed to be strategic, hot seats and connection driven? They kept turning into mindset talks. My gut response was like “gurrrrll, tris is not what I signed up for,” but my mind rationalized: “maybe they know something I don’t.”

Questions in the portal went unanswered. Or a real blank statement answer that was… disappointing. The group felt like it was abandoned. But I kept on rationalizing “they’re just busy.”

The curriculum quietly shifted from what was promised to whatever felt easier for them to deliver. My gut knew we were bring deprioritized, but I just told myself to me a bit more “understanding”. To show some grace.

Here’s what I learned: when leadership lacks integrity, your nervous system will feel it. The proving trap, the energy drain, the sense that you’re not actually being seen or cared for, that lingering thought of “maybe I just need to show up more.” Well, your body registers it all before your mind catches up.

In a private conversations, I learned that I was not the only one feeling this way.

And that’s when the light bulb moment came.

The Social Media Highlight Reel vs. Reality

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Not everything you see on social media is real.

The same leader posting about “deep transformation” and “holding space” was delivering surface level content to a group of people who had trusted them with their money and time. The same person talking about growth, achieving your goals, becoming a leader, had quietly changed direction in their business without honoring prior commitments or communicating changes with care.

The disconnect was staggering.

This experience taught me that performative marketing and authentic leadership are two completely different energies. One extracts. One stewards. One takes. One protects.

What Authentic Leadership Actually Looks Like

This experience clarified my own role s a leader in ways I never expected.

Authentic leadership is not about having all the answers. It’s about having the integrity to honor your relationships and communicate changes with care.

It’s not about perfect delivery. It’s about showing up consistently for the people who have trusted you with their energy and investment.

It’s not about maintaining an image. It’s about being willing to take responsibility when things don’t go as planned.

When I think about my own leadership, I ask myself:

• Am I protecting my client’s energy while they scale, out am I extracting from them?
• Am I delivering what I promised, or am I shifting to whatever it feels easier?
• Am I responding to my community withy care, or am I too busy building my next thing?

The most profitable path is also the most peaceful. For everyone involved.

How to Spot Aligned Leadership (And Become It )

Red flags your nervous system recognizes:

• Delayed or absent communication when you need support
• Curriculum or promises that quietly shift without explanation
• Sessions that consistently veer off-topic from what was advertised
• Sessions that always feel like a repeat
• Marketing energy that feels different from the delivery energy

Green flags of authentic authority:

• Consist, caring communication even when things get messy
• Transparency about changes and how they affect you
• Delivery that matches the marketing energy you fell in love with
• Responsiveness that shows you matter beyond the transaction
• Taking responsibility when expectations are not met

The Sacred Steward’s Promise

This experience reinforced something that I already knew but needed to live more fully: I will fiercely protect the wealth, well-being and sovereignty of my clients.

When you invest your energy with me, you’re not just getting strategy, or mindset work. You are getting energetic stewardship. You’re getting someone who will honor what we’ve agreed to, communicate changes with care, and show up for you consistently. Not just when it’s convenient for me.

Your body is the business plan. Your nervous system is the strategy.

And part of my job is helping you trust those signals, especially when it comes to choosing who you learn from and invest with.

Trust Your Sacred Response

Did I tell the program leaders about the broken trust? Nope. And here is why: they do not care. They wouldn’t give a rats ass about my feelings and experience.

But I did learn to trust myself when I see something shifting out of alignment. I learned that my nervous system is my greatest business intelligence tool. And I learned that the most important leadership quality isn’t perfection. It is integrity.

The beautiful irony? Some of my closest business friends came from that disappointing program. When leadership fails, authentic connections often emerge anyway. We found each other in the wreckage and build something real.

Your Body Knows

As you navigate your own leadership journey (whether you’re choosing mentors or becoming one yourself), remember this: Your body knows before your brain does.

Trust your gut response that says “something’s off” even when you can’t articulate why.

Trust the nervous system wisdom that recognizes energy extraction versus genuine stewardship.

The most profitable path is also the most peaceful. For leaders and the people they serve.

And if you’re ready to build or find leadership that feels like home, your body will guide you there.

Regulate to receive. Your breakthrough is in your breath work.

What has your nervous system been trying to tell you about leadership in your life? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.