The quiet power of being: doing vs being

Lessons from a lifelong doer

Do you spend most of your time doing or being?

For much of my life — and especially in my work — doing has been my natural rhythm. As an Enneagram type 1, it’s almost my superpower: bringing order to ideas, translating vision into systems, turning plans into progress.

Behind every strategy or business improvement plan, there’s always the moment when ideas must become real — and that’s where I thrive.

Doing vs being

I’ve always been a doer by nature. The Our inner winter invites us to slow down, rest, and listen. When we honour this phase of our cyclical energy, we discover that rest itself is a powerful form of productivity and self-care.fixer. The one who figures things out, moves things forward, makes things work.

But as I’ve evolved (and slowed down enough to truly listen), I’ve realised something simple that is transforming my life: being matters just as much, if not even more.

Being present.

Being grounded in values.

Being aligned

Being intentional with where I place my energy.

That awareness has softened my edges as a professional and as a leader — and expanded how I see productivity itself.

Because in business, as in life, not everyone leads from the same energy. Some people find their flow in the action — in momentum, in making things happen. Others bring their magic through being — through reflection, empathy, or creating calm in the middle of change.

When you learn to honour both — in yourself and in your team — something beautiful happens. You A reflection on the balance of doing vs being in leadership and life — and how conscious awareness transforms not just productivity, but harmony in teams. stop forcing alignment and start creating it.

How it shows in life

I’m witnessing this right now with a client — a growing business refining their project and financial systems. The technical part? I think it is easy. The human part? That’s the tricky part, and it’s where the real transformation unfolds. Change feels uncomfortable because it challenges how we do — but with awareness, empathy, and space to be, it can elevate how we grow together.

And the same applies to my personal life, for example with my family. When my under 5 girls were asked what they loved about their mum for a mom’s day card, they answered things like: she cooks for me; she puts me to bed; she cuddles me. All of them were doing things. Now, as they grow older, the doing is the easy part and the one I want to reduce so I can focus on the being: watching the clouds pass while breathing; meditation; being present when we have a conversation; hugging them with intention. And the more I do this, the more connected we are.

Doing vs being.

Doing keeps things moving.

Being keeps them aligned.

Leadership— conscious, grounded leadership —, at home or at work, needs both.

Thank you for reading 💜

Laia