Worthy to Lead

Episode 32: Why White Space Is Your Best Strategy for Better Leadership

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You're smart. You're experienced. You're ambitious. So why does it feel like you can't find time to think strategically?

Most senior leaders aren't lacking intelligence or drive. They're lacking what I call “white space.” Their calendars are crammed, their days are fully stacked, and their strategic thinking is forced between the cracks of back-to-back meetings.

In this episode, I'm getting personal about my own struggle with white space and sharing what the science actually says about how our brains do complex thinking.

We get into:

  • Why your best strategic thinking happens at 3 AM (and how to fix that)
  • The Default Mode Network: the part of your brain that only works when you stop consuming information
  • Why walking increases creative output by 60% compared to sitting
  • The real reason leadership culture gets strategy wrong
  • Practical experiments you can try this week to create white space
  • How to protect thinking time like you'd protect a meeting with your CEO

    • If you've ever said "I wish I had more time to focus on strategy" or "I don't have time to innovate right now, I'm too busy," this episode will challenge how you think about productivity, leadership discipline, and what actually drives better decisions.

     Mentioned in this Episode:

    • "Deep Work" by Cal Newport: https://amzn.to/3Nt6LvS
    • 20 years of the default mode network: A review and synthesis by Vinod Menon:
      https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896627323003082
    • Stanford study finds walking improves creativity by May Wong:
      https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2014/04/walking-vs-sitting-042414

      • Book a free call to explore coaching as a way to increase your strategic thinking: https://calendar.app.google/MaFvGfH7YHATZ1Nz6

      📩 Connect with Kristiana:

      Website: https://www.worthytolead.co/
      LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kristianacorona
      Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worthytolead/
      Substack: https://worthytolead.substack.com/

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      Worthy to LeadBy Kristiana Corona