When Emotions Feel Like the Enemy: The SLOW Method for Grounded Leadership

In this episode of The Leader's Table Podcast, host Diana Murphy discusses how to navigate intense emotional moments—anger, anxiety, sadness—during leadership situations like team meetings, difficult conversations, or receiving bad news. Rather than judging or suppressing emotions, she frames them as a portal to wisdom, values, integrity, and truth, helping leaders stay grounded instead of reacting as a "hothead." She introduces the SLOW tool to honor and engage emotions differently: Stop and notice your breath Linger to recover and let the emotion move Stay Open and curious without judgment about what triggered you Widen your perspective to reduce tunnel vision and access what you really want to do or say.   She emphasizes that nothing has gone wrong when emotions arise and promises that practicing SLOW leads to more aligned responses and deeper insight.   00:00 Welcome and Purpose 00:13 When Emotions Hit 01:22 Emotions as Wisdom 03:47 Honor the Moment 05:41 Engage Differently 07:07 SLOW Acronym 08:39 Widen Perspective 10:18 Repeat the Steps 11:55 Mammal Not Mind 14:07 Promises and Wrap Up

In this episode of The Leader's Table Podcast, host Diana Murphy lays out the "dirty secret" of transformational growth for business owners and leaders: real change is often confusing, disorienting, and guaranteed to bring strong emotions, not just excitement.  She argues emotions aren't good or bad, and that resisting grief, anxiety, fear, anger, or disappointment can block not only growth but also access to joy and wisdom. Drawing from her experience navigating divorce and coaching clients, she explains that learning to engage emotions as a portal—not an obstacle—builds self-awareness, agency, groundedness, and clearer decision-making.  Diana contrasts this with her past patterns of worry, procrastination, and toxic positivity, and offers reflective questions and practices like slowing down, noticing the body and breath, getting curious without judgment, and letting emotional energy move.   00:00 The Dirty Secret of Growth 01:07 Transformation Feels Messy 02:42 Emotions as a Portal 05:49 Old Patterns and Burnout 08:04 Coaching Shift to Allowing 09:19 Emotions Are Energy in Motion 10:27 Questions to Get Curious 12:25 Let It Move Find Wisdom 14:27 Closing and Share the Episode   Diana supports leaders like you who are wholeheartedly invested in their leadership and personal growth. She helps you move from overwhelmed and fire-fighting to grounded, intentional, and strategic leadership. Find out more at dianamurphycoaching.com

A leader with a strong presence is often overlooked for support, because people assume they're fine. This is especially true for high-capacity individuals whose lives appear successful on the outside and who may need extra privacy while navigating major business transitions. In this episode, Diana Murphy shares excerpts of her conversation with Caryn Gillen. They discuss resourcing as a baseline—coaching, bodywork, emotional wellbeing, and lifestyle supports that create a "nest" so leaders can make big decisions with integrity. Caryn prompts a key takeaway about "amnesia" during pivots: people forget their full breadth of life and work experience and start acting like they're beginning from scratch, which fuels imposter syndrome.  Diana urges listeners to be honest about their emotional experience, ask for practical support, lean into trusted relationships, use coaching or reflection to spot patterns, and remember everything they bring to the table during change. The clips come from Caryn Gillen's podcast, Coach Business, and the conversation with Diana is Episode 201.    

Diana Murphy returns to the microphone after time away, sharing that she has been deepening her work through major personal transition.   She explains that many client challenges are not solved by mindset alone, and she is relaunching with an integration of coaching modalities, real-life stories, and high-impact conversations aimed at leaders, entrepreneurs, and high-integrity, high-capacity people making big moves while being "rocked" by life circumstances.   She introduces an interview clip with her personal coach and colleague Caryn Gillen (from the same coaching school), which followed a retreat where Diana clarified her niche and chose to build her business in a way that aligned with her values rather than high-volume, pitchy scaling models. Diana appeared on Caryn's podcast, Coach Business and the full conversation is here.   Caryn described Diana's business as a "powerful locomotive." In the clip, Diana describes her niche as supporting high-capacity leaders and business owners when "shift hits the fan," acting as an "ER coach" for people navigating crises (divorce, death, health diagnoses) or major chosen pivots (new roles, leaving corporate), helping them regulate anxiety, access wisdom, and regain confident leadership.   Diana then outlines how to niche powerfully by studying what you love in your work, analyzing client impact, giving yourself permission to do it differently, and creating safety and white space in schedule and business to get out of reaction mode.   She emphasizes nervous system regulation practices and frames supportive containers, solo retreats, and consistent reflection as key to accessing one's genius.    Diana closes by thanking another mentor, Trudi Lebrón and reaffirming the podcast's purpose: helping listeners create the business and life of their dreams no matter what is happening.   The book Diana mentioned is Burnout by Emily Nagoski, Ph D   00:00 Back on the Mic 01:05 Why Coaching Must Evolve 02:33 Who This Podcast Serves 03:21 Introducing Karin Gillen 04:48 Coach Business Clip 05:58 ER Coach Niche 09:06 After the Clip Takeaways 09:27 Niche by Studying Your Work 12:54 Create White Space 13:53 Regulate Your Nervous System 15:40 Wrap Up and Next Steps

In the final installment of the Exit With Ease series in "The Leader's Table by Diana Murphy" Podcast, Diana and Janise Graham discuss the complex emotional and psychological journey business owners face "at the finish line" as they complete the sale of their business.  They emphasize the importance of starting with the end in mind and the transition from business life to personal life. The conversation covers key aspects such as celebrating milestones, managing family dynamics, and the 'baton passing' process.  Janise and Diana stress the need for planning, visualizing a future without the business, and the benefits of involving a coach or mentor. They share inspiring stories of business owners who successfully navigated their transitions by engaging in charitable activities, mentoring, or exploring new passions.  The episode concludes with practical advice on finding fulfillment and maintaining a sense of value post-sale. 00:00 Introduction and Setting the Stage 00:43 The Emotional Journey of Selling a Business 01:47 Life After Selling: Finding New Purpose 04:55 Success Stories and Inspirations 06:51 The Importance of Celebration and Transition 14:20 Family Dynamics and Baton Passing 24:00 Final Thoughts and Contact Information

In the fifth installment of Exit With Ease, Diana Murphy and Janise Graham dive into the crucial topic of business valuations in the context of owner exits. They explore the emotional and technical aspects of valuation, factors influencing it, and the importance of having an expert advisory team.  They also touch on the challenges owners face when confronted with unexpected valuation numbers and emphasize the need for individualized exit strategies.  Be sure to listen to Part 6, the conclusion of the Exit With Ease series from "The Leader's Table by Diana Murphy."   00:00 Introduction to Owner's Exit 00:45 Understanding Business Valuations 02:17 Key Factors in Valuation 05:14 Emotional Impact of Valuation 09:49 Navigating Offers and Transitions 17:15 Final Thoughts and Advice 26:13 Conclusion and Next Steps

In this episode of Exit With Ease, Diana and Janise focus on the critical steps business owners should take when anticipating an exit or sale. They emphasize the importance of assembling a dream team of expert advisors, including attorneys, bankers, CPAs, wealth advisors, and insurance professionals, to navigate the complexities of the process.  Through personal anecdotes and practical advice, Janice illustrates the benefits of having the right people in place, fostering efficient decision-making, and safeguarding long-term relationships with existing advisors.   Diana and Janise offer valuable insights for business owners on preparing for a smooth and successful business transition.   00:00 Welcome to The Leader's Table 00:48 Introducing the Dream Team Concept 02:50 Key Advisors for Business Success 08:35 The Importance of a Cohesive Team 12:15 Navigating Advisor Transitions 23:55 Final Thoughts and Upcoming Episodes

 Welcome to Part 3 of Exit With Ease with Janise Graham and Diana Murphy. This conversation covers how KPIs function as a barometer for business health, setting and achieving SMART goals, and maintaining realistic and actionable indicators.  Janise emphasizes breaking down large goals into smaller, manageable steps to avoid overwhelm, while Diana highlights the importance of consistent communication and delegation. The episode provides practical insights and encourages owners to view their business data from a place of curiosity and strategic adjustment rather than judgment.   00:00 Introduction and Meeting Janice 00:46 Series Overview and Episode Breakdown 01:04 Diving into KPIs 02:04 Overcoming Overwhelm with KPIs 02:58 Setting and Measuring SMART Goals 05:02 Real-Life Examples and Strategies 08:54 The Importance of Regular Check-Ins 14:07 Delegation and Team Responsibility 19:09 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

Exit With Ease, Part 2 features a detailed conversation between Diana Murphy and Janise Graham, author and business strategist, about the importance of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in creating systemic ease for business owners. The hosts discuss transitioning from the emotional elements explored in the first episode to practical business strategies in this episode. Janise emphasizes SOPs as foundational structures for business stability and growth, advocating for a mindset shift among owners to cultivate a systematic approach to running their businesses. The conversation covers how SOPs clarify company missions, enhance customer and employee experiences, and prepare businesses for scaling or exit by documenting processes and ensuring consistency across operations. Janise and Diana share insights on overcoming the overwhelm of implementing SOPs through gradual, simplified approaches and leveraging internal and external resources. They underscore the lasting value and increased operational efficiency that SOPs bring to businesses of all sizes, ultimately facilitating smoother transitions for owners looking to exit or scale their ventures.   00:00 Welcome & Series Introduction 00:27 The Power of SOPs for Business Legacy 01:30 Deep Dive into Standard Operating Procedures 05:45 Simplifying SOP Implementation 09:06 Overcoming Owner Hesitations & Empowering Teams 13:35 The Critical Role of SOPs in Business Sales & Scaling 22:12 Creating Operational Ease and Value 24:55 Mindset Shifts for Successful SOP Integration

Host Diana Murphy introduces a new series within "The Leader's Table by DIana Murphy,"  guiding business owners through the process of exiting their business, hosted alongside business strategist and author, Janise Graham. In this first discussion of six, they cover the importance of approaching exit planning with emotional intelligence and understanding, highlighting the common fears and misconceptions business owners face when considering selling their business.   Diana and Janise emphasize the importance of aligning exit strategies with personal values and the emotional aspects of leaving a business. The discussion includes advice on how to start planning an exit by understanding one's emotional drivers and fears, and engaging in strategic thinking about the future. Key takeaways include acknowledging fears, understanding the emotional aspects of exiting, and the importance of open conversations and planning for a future beyond business ownership.   00:00 Welcome to the Leaders Table: Introducing the Series 05:15 The Heart of Exiting: Emotions, Dreams, and Fears 08:52 Navigating the Emotional Landscape of Business Exit 19:37 Dreaming Big and Confronting Fears: Practical Steps for Business Owners 24:33 Wrapping Up: Embracing the Emotional and Logical Journey of Exit Planning