Anton Guinea
Entrepreneur, Speaker, bestselling author, and founder of The Guinea Group of Companies. For over 15 years, Anton has helped leaders move their teams to become psychologically safe, physically safe and overall better versions of themselves.
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you gave yourself just ten quiet minutes a day?
I’m not talking about planning your to-do list or prepping for another high-pressure meeting. I mean stopping. Thinking. Actually feeling the weight of the day. As leaders, we tend to move at breakneck speed, solving, fixing, reacting. But the truth is, growth doesn’t happen at that pace. Growth happens when we pause.
Reflection isn’t a luxury
Great leaders make time to reflect consistently, because they know it’s what helps them lead with clarity, not just busyness.
When I first started in leadership, I thought progress came from pushing harder. Turns out, the lost art of introspection is far more powerful than I gave it credit for. A quick pause can stop a blow-up. It can steer a project back on course. It can even save a team member from burnout. That’s not fluff. That’s just facts.
We put so much effort into doing, but barely any into being. And that’s why so many leaders hit a wall. They forget that leading starts with self-awareness and self-awareness starts with stillness.
Stillness is where decisions get better
I’ve found that my best decisions don’t come from urgency. They come from silence. That breath between meetings. That walk without a phone. That early morning coffee where no one else is awake yet.
In one quiet moment, you might realise you’re micromanaging. Or that a team member is more capable than you thought. Or that you’ve been avoiding a hard conversation because it’s uncomfortable, not because it’s unnecessary.
This study on self-awareness backs it up: leaders who pause are not only more effective, they’re more trusted. And trust is the currency of leadership.
Reflection helps you feel, not just function
I used to think feelings didn’t belong in leadership. But I was wrong. Ignoring emotion doesn’t make it disappear—it just makes it come out sideways. Snapping at a colleague. Zoning out in meetings. Feeling like something’s off but not knowing what.
That’s why I wrote about emotional intelligence being a leader’s greatest asset. Because when we reflect, we can process the emotion instead of burying it. We can lead with empathy, not ego. And we can respond instead of reacting.
One thing I’ve noticed is that reflection helps us recognise when we’re leading from fear. That might sound heavy but fear shows up in subtle ways. Not delegating. Overthinking. Avoiding eye contact. Trying to prove something that doesn’t need proving.
Leadership becomes lighter when you reflect. Because you stop carrying stories that aren’t even true.
It doesn’t have to be complicated
You don’t need a fancy journal or meditation retreat. You need a habit. A commitment. Something small but consistent.
- Start your day by asking: What kind of leader do I want to be today?
- End your day by asking: Did I act like the leader I said I’d be?
- Write down what worked, what didn’t, and what you felt.
I do this in 5-minute blocks. That’s it. Because reflection isn’t about adding pressure. It’s about releasing it.
Your team can feel when you’ve done the inner work
Ever been around a leader who was on edge all the time? Or one who constantly needed reassurance? That’s someone who hasn’t paused. Hasn’t reflected. Hasn’t taken stock of what’s going on inside them.
Compare that to someone who leads with calm. With composure. Someone who makes space for others to be themselves. That’s a leader who’s done their homework. Quietly. Internally. Consistently.
We talk a lot about legacy. If that matters to you, I’d suggest you read this take on defining your leadership legacy. Reflection is the root of that legacy. No one ever left a mark by rushing through life.
Why psychological safety starts with reflection
You can’t expect your team to feel safe if you haven’t checked in with yourself first. Your energy sets the tone. Your responses create the environment. Your silence or lack of it can either comfort or confuse.
This is something I talk about in our Speak Safe training program, where we work with organisations on the real foundations of safety. And one of the biggest? Self-reflection.
Before you give feedback, reflect. Before you introduce change, reflect. Before you lead a team through uncertainty, reflect. The impact is real. The difference is noticeable. And it’s not just about others, it’s about you.
What I want for you
If you’re a leader who feels like you’re constantly in motion spinning plates, putting out fires, pushing for the next win I see you. But I also want to remind you: you can pause. You can make time. And you can grow by doing less, not more.
If this is something you’re curious to explore deeper, feel free to book a conversation with me. I work with leaders across Australia to help them stay steady, build resilience, and lead from the inside out.
And if you just want to ask a few questions, reach out anytime. I’m always up for a good chat about leadership done better.
And if you’re still wondering whether this really makes a difference, I’ll leave you with this: the most composed, respected, and influential leaders I know all share one habit they make time to think. Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast. That’s how we lead better.
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If you would like to learn more about Anton or The Guinea Group, please click here to book into Anton’s calendar, to:
UPGRADE your Mindset
UPSKILL your Leadership
UPLIFT your Teams