Somewhere between Acadia National Park in Maine and the rocky coast of Nova Scotia, my cell service gave up. Completely. No bars. No texts. No Google Maps lady cheerfully announcing our next turn.
At first, I’ll admit, it made me twitchy. You mean I can’t check my email right now? But then something shifted. As the miles rolled by, I started to relax. Without the constant buzz, ding, or scroll, I noticed more — the beautiful fall foliage, (which we don’t get here in south Louisiana), the smell of the sea air, the simple joy of tracing my Cajun roots and sharing the moment with my husband.
It was peaceful. Grounding. Real.
And it made me wonder: when did we all become so uncomfortable with silence?
We’ve all become so tethered to devices, notifications, and to-do lists that we’ve forgotten how to be where we are. Leaders especially feel pressure to always be “on” — accessible, responsive, plugged in.
It’s like we’re all walking around armed with weapons of mass distraction — calls, text threads, email chains, notifications for meetings about meetings. We’re able to connect with others around the globe 24/7, but we’re losing the ability to connect with the person sitting across the table from us.
True connection requires presence, not just availability.
I think we’ve mistaken accessibility for connection.
Our signals are strong, but our conversations are weak.
And here’s the irony — sometimes you have to disconnect to reconnect.
When you’re juggling a dozen tabs (on your laptop and especially in your brain), it’s easy to miss the real signals people are sending — the hesitation in a team member’s voice, the stress behind a smile, the chance to say “thank you” instead of “let’s circle back.”
Leadership isn’t about being the fastest responder or the most available person in the room. It’s about being present. The kind of presence people can feel.
So maybe it’s time for a little intentional “no service zone.” That might mean:
• Closing your laptop during a one-on-one.
• Leaving your phone in the car before walking into a meeting.
• Taking a “no devices” lunch with a colleague or your team.
• I often start my leadership team retreats by announcing that we’ll be going topless – laptop-less, that is (What did you think I meant?).
• Blocking quiet time to actually think, not just react. BTW, I’ve implemented a “no calls” policy while driving. It makes for the best quiet time. I arrive refreshed and I haven’t divided my attention between an important convo and my driving.
Because when you unplug — even briefly — you create space for something powerful to plug in: empathy, focus, clarity, and connection.
During that trip through Maine and Nova Scotia, I realized how much energy I’d been burning staying “connected.” Once the digital noise dropped, I reconnected with things that matter — nature, my heritage, and my hubs. Funny how the strength of your connection to life goes up just as the bars on your phone drop.
So, if your leadership — or life — feels a little out of range lately, maybe it’s time to step into a different kind of coverage zone. One with fewer pings and more presence.
Because the best connections don’t depend on Wi-Fi. They depend on attention.
A few questions to ponder:
1. When was the last time you gave someone your undivided attention?
2. What are your personal “weapons of mass distraction?”
3. How might you create moments to intentionally disconnect — even for a few minutes a day?
4. Who in your world might need you to show up more fully — not digitally, but personally?
If this message resonates, I’d love to stay connected (the real kind!). Schedule a chat.
Because meaningful leadership — and life — starts with meaningful connection.
You might also like:
What Does Your Big Fat “But” Look Like?
Lead Yourself and Your Team Out of the Land of Stuck
Through facilitated leadership team retreats, customized training programs, coaching, and keynote presentations with a hint of Cajun flavor, Jennifer Ledet, CSP, provides leaders with tools to help them be more intentional and live and lead by choice, not by chance.
