🎥 Sunday Reset with Steven | 17 Aug 2025

⚡ The 5-Second Rule and the 2-Word Reset

The best leaders I know don’t wait for courage They count down to it.
And when frustration rises? They don’t fight harder. They simply let them.

As you by now know I advise boards and senior leaders navigating AI, governance, and transformation. And a reminder:
That on Sundays, I share these resets - grounded, personal, and human. Use it in life and workplace.

In this week’s Sunday Reset video, I break down two tiny but powerful tools from Mel Robbins that I’ve been testing myself:

➡️ The 5-Second Rule: When hesitation strikes, count down 5-4-3-2-1 and move.

➡️ The “Let Them” Theory: When others don’t act how you want, release the grip. Let them. And reclaim your peace.

They sound almost too simple. Yet they’ve shifted how I lead, how I work, and even how I handle tough personal moments.

Here’s why they are not theory. They’re lived.

🟦 This week, I was staring at a draft email.
Tough message. High stakes (it was to the chair of board, giving not good news, although written well).
My brain? Doing what it does best: spiralling with “what ifs.”

Instead of sinking into that mind mode, I counted back: 5-4-3-2-1… send.

The world didn’t end. In fact, the decision opened a door I’d been hesitating on for weeks.

🟦 Another moment: in a personal relationship.
Someone dear to me chose a path I didn’t agree with.

Every instinct in me wanted to jump in, explain, persuade, fix.

But then I caught myself: let them.

Let them reveal their truth. Let them walk their road.

And the weight I was carrying? Gone in seconds.

That’s the point:
➡️ The 5-4-3-2-1 countdown gets you moving when fear freezes you.
➡️ The two words “let them” release you when control grips you.

One propels action.
The other protects peace.

Together, they create a balance most leaders. And most humans, well they are desperate for: momentum without burnout, clarity without control.

So here is the challenge I leave you with this week:

Where do you need a countdown to courage?
Where do you need a release into freedom?

Sometimes, the reset you need is just 5 seconds.
Or 2 words.

Keep growing. Keep leading.
Until next Sunday.
Let’s get it.

Steven PAUL, CDir FIoD - Reshaping boards and CEOs to lead decisively: Your boardroom compass for bold, trusted AI decisions and governance.
📳 Let me show you how. I invite you to connect with me
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🎥 Sunday Reset with Steven | 10Aug 2025

The Storm You Didn’t See Coming

Oprah once said:

“True forgiveness is when you can say, ‘Thank you for that experience.’”

Richard Branson swears by calling first when tensions rise-because a voice reveals what words on a screen hide.

And one of my favourite CEOs once told me:

“Nine times out of ten, the thing you’re angry about isn’t actually what’s happening.”

A CEO I know lived this perfectly.

She was mid-draft on a blistering email to a partner who’d just missed a huge deadline. Every line sharpened with frustration.

Then she stopped.
Picked up the phone.

On the other end?
A full systems meltdown. Two days offline. No malice. No negligence. Just a storm they hadn’t seen coming.

Email deleted. Frustration gone. Partnership saved.

“The Unsent Email Mindset”

Before you assume intent, check the facts.
Before you hit send, make the call.

It’s not about being soft-it’s about being smart.
It preserves trust. It keeps decisions clean. And it frees your head from carrying unnecessary battles.

This weekend, I was in Birmingham with Dr Karl George,MBE. We were working on GovernAI for Boards. It’s a innovative and ultimate compass to help boards lead AI with clarity and confidence before the technology leads them. Look out for the launch in a few weeks. (I will share further in due course)

That work reminded me of another concept: Locus of Control-first defined by Julian Rotter in 1954.

▫️External locus: “This is happening to me.”
▫️Internal locus: “This is my move to make.”

The best leaders I know-CEOs, athletes, creators-default to internal.
When the market slows, they ask, What’s our play?
When a plan stalls, they ask, Where’s the pivot?

The moment you outsource responsibility for your outcomes, you hand away the power to change them.

Your reset for this week:

🎥 Sunday Reset with Steven | 3 Aug 2025
“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, defeated warriors go to war first then seek to win. —Sun Tzu

Steve Jobs called intuition “more powerful than intellect.”
Oprah built an empire on instinct.
Elon Musk says real breakthroughs come from first principles, not just borrowed models.

Three icons. Three different worlds.
One truth:

Your inner alignment isn’t a luxury-it’s the engine of your impact.
This week? That truth hit me (in many ways!)

On Sundays, I share these resets-grounded, personal, and human. No slides. Just enabling clarity. I learn, and and invite you to learn with me.

🧭 When Logic Fails, Trust the Compass Within.

This week, I ignored my gut.
Followed advice that looked right on paper-but felt off.
The result? Misalignment. Wasted time. That dull inner ache of “I knew better.”

So I reset-and leaned into two powerful frameworks:

🔹 1. Ikigai – Your Inner Compass
From Japan, Ikigai means “your reason for being.”
It’s the intersection of:
→ What you love
→ What you’re good at
→ What the world needs
→ And what you can be paid for

Pro tip: Instead of asking “What’s my purpose?”
Try: “What energises me -even when I’m exhausted?”

(📌 I’ve shared a downloadable Ikigai template + my own reflection in the comments.)

🔹 2. The Law of Preparation – Brian Tracy

“Effective performance is preceded by painstaking preparation.”

This week, I found myself rushing. Skipping steps.
Then I remembered Lincoln’s words:

“I shall study and prepare myself, and someday my chance will come.”

When I returned to prep, clarity followed.
Because preparation isn’t a delay tactic. It’s a discipline that protects your focus and flow

Yeah - the Stoic’s knew it, said it and practiced too. The warriors, well they had it in them!

You are a leader in your own right. You can too.

🏎️ From the Track to the Boardroom
At the Hungarian Grand Prix qualifiers, Ferrari brought upgrades.
Mercedes? They reverted to an older setup-just to understand what wasn’t working.

Sometimes, progress requires stepping back to recalibrate.
And Hamilton?

“We were nowhere.”
Zero excuses. Just ownership. That’s high-performance leadership.

Watch the race today…

Your prompt for the week:
Where are you outsourcing your judgment?
What decision are you delaying-while waiting for proof you don’t need?

This week. Yes this week. Trust yourself.
→ Reflect through Ikigai.
→ Prepare with intention.
→ Act from alignment.

I’m Steven.
Keep growing. Keep leading.
Until next Sunday
Let’s get it. 🏁

Intro music credit: Pina Colada /EnjoyMusic

Steven PAUL, CDir FIoD Reshaping boards and CEOs to lead decisively – with AI transformation and strategic corporate governance at the core.
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