The Power of Proximity
On a recent flight, something stayed with me long after the wheels touched the tarmac.
Before takeoff, the CEO was onboard and invited us into a moment of play. She passed a note to the cabin crew for a contest: guess how many checked bags were in the hold, and the closest guess wins a roundtrip ticket. I guessed 163. The answer was 137. Three passengers nailed it (or came within one), and all three walked away with free flights.
But it wasn't the generosity that struck me. It was what happened during the four hours that followed.
I was sitting in 34C...the very last row. After the winners were announced, this executive walked to the back of the aircraft. She didn't just "check in"; she spent the entire flight in deep, one-on-one conversation with every member of the crew.
As someone who studies human dynamics and organization behavior, I couldn't help but observe the somatic shift in the flight crew. The CEO wasn't flexing the weight of her title; she was leading through the quality of her presence. Her questions were skillful, disarming, and invited a level of candor rarely seen across such a significant power differential.
She asked every person:
"How am I supporting you?"
"How might I be getting in your way?"
"Where can we simplify or improve?"
This is the heart of embodied leadership. When a leader shows up relationally, accountability stops being a top-down mandate and becomes a shared, mutual commitment. She wasn’t on a performative listening tour; she was regulating the "nervous system" of her organization by making her team feel heard, seen, and essential.
Most of us don't have a global airline’s budget, yet the lesson she modeled remains relevant. The tools the CEO was leveraging - sincere inquiry, deep listening, and the courage to be challenged - don’t cost a damn dime.
Accountability thrives when we step out of the corner office and into real relationships. When we invite honesty, we build the trust necessary to solve the complex problems facing our organizations today.
Let’s lead with curiosity and invite the conversations that matter.
If your team needs support naming the elephants or leaning into the conversations that catalyze clarity and connection, let’s talk.