Why Listening to Your Body Is a Leadership Superpower

The Digital Project Manager

Work sometimes triggers our fight‑or‑flight responses—especially in agency life. In this episode, Galen sits down with leadership coach and operations strategist Abigail Jones and project manager/coach Matthew Fox to explore what happens when we ignore the signals our bodies are giving us, and how tapping into our “body intelligence” can help us lead more consciously in a technology‑driven world. They unpack how our nervous systems get hijacked by stress in modern work, how noticing our physical responses becomes a tool (not just a symptom), and how teams and agencies can shift culture to reclaim better performance and wellbeing.

This is a grounded, real‑world conversation—no fluff—about how our bodies, our minds, and our projects intersect.

Resources from this episode:

• Join the Digital Project Manager Community
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcasts
• Connect with Abigail on LinkedIn and Instagram
  • Check out Southleft
• Connect with Matthew on LinkedIn and The Bureau
• The Leadership Circle Profile assessment
  • What it is: The most comprehensive 360-degree leadership assessment that measures both competencies (what you do) and internal assumptions (how you think)
  • Why I use it: It's the only tool I've found that measures both reactive leadership patterns (controlling, protecting, complying) and creative leadership capacities (relating, self-awareness, authenticity, systems thinking)
  • Visual profile shows leaders exactly where they're operating from fear vs. trust
  • I'm certified to administer and interpret this assessment
• Somatic & Body Intelligence Practices
  • Window of Tolerance (from Polyvagal Theory): there's a "window" where you can think clearly and respond consciously. When stress pushes you outside that window, you go into survival mode.
  • Concept from Dr. Stephen Porges' Polyvagal Theory
    • Understanding your nervous system's capacity to handle stress before going into fight/flight/freeze
  • Helps leaders recognize when they're dysregulated and need to pause
  • Links to learn more
    • https://www.polyvagalinstitute.org/whatispolyvagaltheory
    • https://www.stayingsane101.com/post/polyvagal-theory-enhancing-the-window-of-tolerance
  • Body Scan Practice
    • Simple 60-second practice: scan from head to toe and notice sensations without judgment
    • Before big decisions, difficult conversations, or anytime you feel activated
    • Brings you into present-moment awareness and accesses somatic intelligence
    • Free guided meditations
      • https://www.uclahealth.org/uclamindful/guided-meditations
      • https://www.mindful.org/beginners-body-scan-meditation/
      • https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/body_scan_meditation
    • Tech solutions
      • Headspace body scan guide: https://www.headspace.com/meditation/body-scan
      • Calm bo

פרקים

1. Welcome And Big Question (00:00:00)

2. Culture, Stress, And Fight Or Flight (00:04:58)

3. Evolution, Nerves, And Work Reactivity (00:09:52)

4. Body Intelligence Defined (00:17:52)

5. Conscious Leadership In Practice (00:24:42)

6. Emotional Load And Discharge Tactics (00:33:22)

7. Costs Of Ignoring The Body (00:42:22)

8. Organizational Starts And Simple Tools (00:51:52)