Here's an Exciting Leadership Tool You Can Use

Walking shoulder to shoulder defuses difficult power differentials.

Reviewed by Hara Estroff Marano

Key points

• Walking is not just a health tool but a leadership tool.
• When having a difficult conversation with someone, try walking shoulder to shoulder.
• Walking shoulder to shoulder promotes goodwill and collaboration.
• Manage potential risks by stating that you are using walking as a business tool.

The cardiovascular benefits of regular walking are well-researched. Walking is also an excellent leadership tool.

“Let’s Take a Walk”

When leaders use their office for difficult conversations, the symbolism of power differential exists whether they sit behind a desk or across a coffee table. A conference room is neutral, but a team member may be reading face cues that you the leader does not wish to convey. The same issue applies to online conversations.

You are going to have a difficult conversation. Consider having it while walking shoulder to shoulder in a wooded area, a quiet street, or around your building.

Walking shoulder to shoulder solves both the power-symbol issue and the facial-signals problem. When clients bring to us complex, emotionally laden issues, we routinely take shoulder-to-shoulder walks. We find the lack of facial signals from us helps relax them.

Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology at the University of California at Berkeley, cites a study involving strangers meeting at an enclosed stadium in New Zealand. For five minutes, one group walked around the stadium collectively, while the control group walked around the same stadium as individuals. The group that walked together scored higher on goodwill and collaboration (2023).

Explaining the Business Rationale

Asking a team member to walk can be misinterpreted, observes executive coach Lewis Rambo: “Is this a business conversation or a romantic stroll?” When suggesting a walk, be clear that the goal is to help both parties discuss key business issues. You are using the walk as a communication tool. You will also use this tool with others. The person is not being “singled out” for special treatment.

Walking for “Whoa” Moments

We all experience being so focused on a business or relationship problem that we need to gain perspective. When deep into the issue of the moment, try walking to search for awe sights.

Keltner defines awe as the “feeling of being in the presence of something that transcends your current understanding of the world.” An object of awe could be as big as a meteor shower or as small as a beautiful red leaf in autumn.

When experiencing awe, it is common for people to think or utter the word “Whoa.” “Whoa,” means you are in awe of what you see. In the presence of awe, you can move outside yourself and see the beauty in the world.

Scheduling your time to seek out “Whoa” moments improves your creativity and adds an emotional dimension to perspective. As a result, you are more effective in solving problems at work. We recommend you take photos of “Whoa” objects with your mobile device.

In another study, Keltner and neuroscientist Virginia Sturm assembled two groups. The control group was told to take regular walks, but there was no definition of what to do on these walks. The experimental group members were instructed to take daily walks and “tap into your childlike sense of wonder.” Both groups were asked to take photographs on their mobile devices.

Eight weeks later, the photographs were compared.

The control group tended to take photographs of themselves. The experimental group took fewer selfies and more photos of other people and scenery. Those in the experimental group reported more “Whoa” experiences.

The Law of Diminishing Returns Does Not Apply to Awe

“Whoa” events increase with the frequency of your search for them. The law of diminishing returns does not apply. To paraphrase the Bible (Mathew 7:7) “The more you seek, the more you shall find.”

We hypothesize that searching for “awe” involves tapping into your amygdala, the part of the brain's limbic system that focuses on searching for threats. Threats can be defined as anything unusual in the environment. When searching for awe, you direct the amygdala to focus on what is out of the ordinary.

We have found that searching for “Whoa” helps reduce the intensity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. It involves positively working with the amygdala in ways consistent with its mission.

Summary and Conclusions:

Walking shoulder to shoulder with team members is good for your cardiovascular system and helps you be a more effective leader. It may even help reduce the intensity of some obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

Weather permitting, schedule time to leave your house or office and look for awe moments. The more you seek, the more you will find. The more you open yourself up to “whoa” moments, the more creative the perspective you bring to yourself and your team.