I’ve watched the corporate world do one heck of a U-turn during my 15+ years in banking.

When I took my first shaky footsteps into the merry world of office life, everyone looked so impressive. 

They sounded impressive too.

There was lots of talk about being “swamped again”, “buried in deadlines” and “running on fumes”. I overheard colleagues chit chat about how they were flying to New York for a two hour meeting or brag about how many holidays they hadn’t used so far that year.

It was clear that being in demand really mattered.

13 years of corporate banking later, I burnt out and quit my job.

As I was packing my bags to recharge on a beach in Thailand, a little-known bug called “Covid” came along (you might’ve heard of it) and my tropical trip got replaced by lockdown in Casa Grundy.

Fast forward a couple of years. That’s when I went back to the spreadsheets and slide decks.

This time, things looked different. 

Covid had lifted the lid on something.

When I peeked into my colleagues’ diaries, I could see hours blocked out for "focus time", "me time" and "no meetings". I was joining Teams calls with colleagues beaming in from AirBnBs in Lisbon and cosy cottages in the Cotswolds. Client dinners had turned into lunches or breakfasts so colleagues could see their kids after work.

What’s more, my colleagues weren’t hiding any of this. 

Sure, they were still busy. 

But they weren’t bragging about being heroically busy. Instead, they were openly working on their terms.

So looking like you're in demand matters much less than it did pre-Covid. What matters now is being in control of your time. 

Today, I’d like to predict the next big corporate trend:

Being in control of your mind.

This isn't even a bold prediction. If anything, it’s already started.

I was chatting with a Leadership Coach pal a few weeks ago. He was telling me how his clients don’t want resilience or productivity coaching (understandably – the leaders he coaches are some of the most resilient and productive people you’ll ever meet). Instead, his clients want an unshakeable focus so when they sit in a boardroom making multi-million pound decisions, they can be there, actually IN the board room, with access to the part of their brain they need to make a huge call under insane amounts of pressure.

Closer to home, one of our regional offices now has a musical instrument room where colleagues can go to bang the bongos and clear their heads. 

This would’ve been satire a few years ago. 

Today, it's reality. 

I have to say, this shift towards mental clarity makes a lot of sense to me. I can see some of my colleagues starting to catch on too.

After all, what's the point of having flexibility if you can't think clearly in the moments that count? What's the point of “focus time” if you can’t focus when you have it? And what's the point of being in the room for the big decision if you're too caught up to access your clearest thinking?

All of which prompts the question:

How do you actually DO that? How do you stay calm under pressure, make the right decisions and still have energy left at the end of the day?

My colleagues who took one of the 50+ Mindset & Clarity workshops I ran over the last 18 months will have heard me share some ideas on the “how to”.

In fact, one colleague posted this on LinkedIn after a workshop:

"Tom's thought leadership and raw personal storytelling hit home in the best way —authentic, uplifting, and packed with practical wisdom. I left feeling not just inspired, but equipped. So many reflections I can actually action starting now"

If you’d like to get ahead of the curve and learn how to stay calm under pressure, access clearer thinking and find that unshakeable focus, I can help.

For one-on-one support, click this link:

https://waitinglist.followingfulfilment.com

To fulfilment,

Tom