Insights
Essays & reflections on tackling the big and fuzzy situations, life throws at us, thoughts on how we navigate uncertainty, find direction, and become more true to who we really are. This is where I think out loud.
All written by Helene Christensen.
What Happens to Leaders Who Stop Listening to Themselves
There is a capacity that separates leaders who stay effective through genuinely hard moments from those who gradually become less useful — to their organisations, to the people around them, and to themselves. It is not strategic intelligence. It is not confidence. It is the ability to stay honestly in contact with their own experience, even when they can't act on it.
Why High-Achieving Women Stop Listening to Themselves
The same qualities that make high-achieving women exceptional at navigating the world make them exceptionally good at overriding themselves. Here’s why — and what changes when they stop.
Leadership in Times of Change: Your Stability Comes From Within
Leadership in times of change is not about tighter control or stronger structure. In an era of acceleration and volatility, stability can no longer be outsourced to hierarchy. It must come from within. This article explores why the old leadership model is over — and what modern leadership now requires.
Decision-Making in Uncertainty: Why Conviction Matters More Than Certainty
We tend to equate leadership with certainty. But the premise of leadership is uncertainty. The real competence is not predicting outcomes — it is demonstrating integrity in motion. This is the difference between certainty and conviction, and why decision-making under uncertainty defines leadership today.
Feeling Lost in Your Career? What a Midlife Career Crisis Really Is
You can build a career that works and still feel estranged inside it. If you feel lost in your career, the problem probably isn’t a missing plan — it’s lost contact with your own signals.
How to Find Your Values When You Feel Lost
When you feel lost, the problem usually isn’t a missing plan — it’s that your values have slipped out of alignment. Here’s how to find what actually matters to you now.
Career Change at 40 When You Don’t Know What You Want
You want a career change but you don’t know what you want — and in your 40s, that unknowing feels like a lot to lose. The confusion isn’t a flaw. It’s a signal. Here’s where to start.
Starting a New Chapter in Life: A Guided Reflection
Starting a new chapter rarely begins with knowing what the chapter is. It begins in the in-between. Here’s a grounded way to look back and sense what comes next.
How to Get Clarity When You Can’t Stop Overthinking
Clarity doesn’t come from thinking harder. It comes after you’ve said the noise out loud. Here’s why overthinking is a signal — and what actually moves you through it.
Why You Feel Restless: It’s a Signal, Not a Flaw
Feeling restless for no clear reason isn’t a flaw to fix. It’s one of the earliest, most reliable signals that something in your life no longer matches who you are.
8 Signs You Feel Disconnected at Work (and What It Means)
Your work hasn’t changed, and yet something feels off. These 8 signs show it isn’t burnout — it’s your self-knowledge getting loud enough to hear what no longer fits.
Why Leadership Feels Harder as You Grow in Responsibility, Especially During Change
As responsibility grows, leadership often feels heavier, especially during periods of change. This essay explores why self-awareness and capacity are critical for healthy leadership and organizational resilience.
Returning to Work After Maternity Leave: Finding Your Footing Again
Returning to work after maternity leave, you step into the same role as a different person. The wobble you feel isn’t lost confidence — it’s a truer sense of who you are.