Radical Acceptance for a chaotic World

Remember the town of Blatten, Switzerland? If you wonder what that is, a few weeks ago it got buried in a huge mountainslide. A whole village just gone within a few moments. While that did not come as a surprise to anyone, it was still a shock. Ever imagined being given 1.5 hours to evacuate your home and never be able to go back?

And then, just a few days ago, we wake up to the reality of a new war. But it feels as if it were nothing new. As if wars were something that we would just have to deal with. No matter what year it is.

I watch a lot of videos on YouTube. But it gets me thinking, every time I look for a new one to watch, there’s another AI warning video popping up. All the way to the AI apocalypse. Experts warning us from the coming dystopian reality if we don’t react fast.

And yet, I watch myself and people around me seemingly devoid of any major emotional reaction. It feels as if we are simply watching things that we are already accustomed to.

And maybe we are in a way. The past 10 years, while also very beautiful, have also come with a reality that would be unsettling, if you were to allow such emotions to surface. It feels like there was life pre and post pandemic.


A World on Edge

This unsettling numbness, this quiet acceptance of continuous crisis, often becomes our default. As leaders, it’s easy to believe we have to compartmentalize, to put on a brave face, to ignore the mounting unease in the world outside our office walls. We’re expected to maintain focus on KPIs, market shifts, and strategic goals, as if the ground beneath us isn’t trembling. Do you genuinely go to work focused solely on your spreadsheets and lead as if it were still 2000?

The truth is, this constant exposure to crisis, coupled with the pressure to remain “always on” and in control, extracts a heavy toll. It can lead to a subtle but pervasive form of burnout, not just from overwork, but from the emotional labor of constantly suppressing genuine human reactions. We become adept at detaching, at pushing away what feels overwhelming, but this detachment often costs us our genuine presence, our creativity, and our deeper connection to our teams and our purpose.


The Path of Radical Acceptance

I can’t change any of these global currents. I can’t just close my eyes and pretend everything is fine. But I’ve learned that I also don’t have to let it derail my inner peace or my capacity to act.

In the end, I can only accept whatever is, is. This isn’t passive resignation, nor is it a surrender to hopelessness. It’s a profound, active choice to meet reality exactly as it unfolds, without resistance. It’s about accepting the reality we find ourselves in, precisely in this moment. I won’t hope for a different future or chase an elusive sense of control that was never truly mine. Instead, I will be present and aware.

This radical acceptance creates an unshakeable ground beneath our feet, even when the world around us feels like a mudslide or a war zone. It’s the understanding that the greatest power isn’t found in trying to control external chaos, but in cultivating an inner stillness that remains untouched by it.


Agency in a Turbulent World

What does this mean for you as a leader? It means a transformation from reactive management to responsive leadership. When you operate from a place of presence and acceptance, you’re not denying challenges; you’re simply seeing them without the added layer of panic, judgment, or the mind’s endless “what if” stories.

From this grounded space, decisions become clearer, less burdened by anxiety. You can provide a calm, steady anchor for your team, fostering psychological safety even when external markets are volatile. Your energy shifts from frantically trying to control every variable to strategically influencing what’s within your sphere, and gracefully adapting to what isn’t.

This isn’t about being unaffected; it’s about discerning between the vastness of global events and your immediate capacity to respond from a place of clarity. It’s about recognizing that there is a shared human experience that we are all going through one way or another, and leading with both compassion and profound effectiveness.


Reclaim Your Unshakeable Core

Are you tired of the emotional toll of the ‘always on’ culture and the silent weight of unaddressed global realities? Do you sense there’s a more authentic, impactful way to lead than constantly chasing KPIs while secretly feeling adrift?

Explore how cultivating radical acceptance and profound presence can transform your leadership, reduce overwhelm, and empower you to lead with an unshakeable sense of agency, no matter what tomorrow brings.

Whenever you feel ready, let’s talk. Also follow me on Substack.

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