The Doorknob Moment: When Leaders Say What Matters Most (Right at the End)
I was wrapping up a session with a senior executive. We were doing our standard close-out when she paused, looked at me, and said: “I just know I don’t want to feel like this anymore.”
A classic doorknob moment—a powerful truth dropped just as the session ends. Vulnerable. Raw. Timed for safety.
These final moments often hold the most transformational insights. I offered, “That’s great clarity about what you don’t want.”
Then I offered this as her next step to think about as her homework: “How do you want to feel?” She blinked. She had no idea.
This is more common than you’d think—especially among high-performing leaders. You’ve become experts at managing what’s not working: stress, pressure, burnout. But when asked to name what would feel better there’s often silence. So I took another route: the body.
Instead of naming how she might like to fee, I asked:
What might you wear if you felt more like yourself?
How would your posture change?
What colors feel like “you” at your best?
Would your breath be deeper? Slower?
What sensations come to mind?
This is somatic awareness in leadership development. It bypasses analysis and taps into emotional intelligence through the body. Because even when the mind draws a blank, the body remembers.
This is where real coaching work begins—not just naming what’s wrong, but exploring how you want to feel, lead, and live.
If you're clear on what you don’t want: that’s data. Now, get curious.
What would 1% more ease look like in your day?
What might “empowered” feel like in your body?
What does your posture know that your calendar doesn’t?
These aren’t soft questions and they’re highly strategic ones. The future of executive coaching is rooted not just in performance metrics, but in presence, embodiment, and sustainable self-awareness.
Because sometimes, the moment you finally say “I don’t want this”—even if it’s by the doorknob—is the beginning of something far more aligned.
What’s your doorknob truth?
If you’re a leader navigating change, pressure, or just the quiet sense that something’s off—let’s explore it. DM me or drop a comment. Your next chapter might start with one sentence.