Lead Like the Wheel Will Turn: Resilience, Rhythm & Real Impact

By William Warren Deabadh Group

Casann roth an tsaoil. The wheel of life turns. — Old Irish proverb

In today’s fast-moving world, we often talk about leadership as if it’s a race: always forward, always faster, always up. But Irish wisdom offers a different lens. Leadership—like life—isn’t a straight road. It’s a wheel. And the leaders who endure? They don’t fight the turn—they learn to move with it.

Here’s what that really means.

🔁 1. Think in Seasons, Not Sprints

In Irish culture, time moves in cycles—harvests, pilgrimages, migrations. Leadership is no different.

Adaptive leadership theory (Heifetz & Linsky) teaches that the most effective leaders observe, interpret, and respond to shifting landscapes—not fixed timelines.

📌 Leadership needs seasonal intelligence. Know when to build, when to breathe, and when to let the soil rest.

🌧️ 2. Let It Rain: Flexibility Beats Force

There’s an Irish kind of resilience that’s less about control and more about calm. “It’ll be grand” isn’t avoidance—it’s emotional agility.

Psychological flexibility—the ability to stay present and open, even in discomfort—is now recognised as a core leadership trait.

Studies in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) show that psychological flexibility improves resilience, decision-making, and clarity under pressure.

📌 Great leaders don’t deny discomfort—they learn to sit with it. Then act from there.

🔄 3. Legacy Is Quiet. Build It in the Turn.

In Irish tradition, legacy is shaped not by status—but by story. Not what you claimed, but what others remember.

Harvard’s Center for Public Leadership found that trust—not visibility—is the most consistent predictor of influence and effectiveness.

📌 Legacy doesn’t show up in the highlight reel. It shows up in the ripple effect.

🤝 4. Belonging Builds Performance

Ireland’s communal roots remind us that leadership isn’t about commanding from the top—it’s about earning trust within the group.

Google’s Project Aristotle confirmed that psychological safety is the strongest driver of team effectiveness—not qualifications or IQ.

📌 If you want to go far, start by making people feel safe enough to speak.

💬 A Turning Point

I’ve led through boardrooms, restructures, and more 3am decisions than I care to admit. But the moment that reshaped how I lead wasn’t in a strategy room—it was in silence.

It came during a time of deep uncertainty—professionally and personally. A loved one was ill. Projects were stalling. I was used to solving problems. Taking action. Holding everything together.

But this time, I didn’t push.

I paused. I listened. I let the wheel turn.

Slowly, things shifted. Not because I controlled them—but because I didn’t. When momentum returned, I wasn’t the same. I had learned to lead in rhythm—not resistance.

And that’s when I understood: leadership isn’t about staying at the top. It’s about staying present while the wheel moves.

🍀 Final Word: Hold Your Nerve. The Wheel Will Turn.

There will be setbacks. There will be success. But no phase is permanent.

What’s for you won’t pass you.  That’s not passive—it’s powerful.

If you’re rising, do it with integrity.

If you’re holding steady, stay grounded.

And if you’re turning—trust the movement.

Because real leadership isn’t about commanding the wheel.

It’s about knowing when to grip—and when to let go.

🧭 Summary:

·        Think seasonally, not linearly.

·        Psychological flexibility is a superpower.

·        Legacy is built in quiet consistency.

·        Belonging is your performance engine.

👉 Tag a leader who knows how to lead with rhythm and resilience.

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