Mental acuity is not about being the smartest person in the room.

It is the ability to think clearly, strategically, and decisively, especially inside systems that were not built with you in mind.

For marginalized leaders, mental acuity is protection.

It is power.

It is precision.

And it is trainable.

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To those of you who have already saved your spot — thank you. The fact that you said yes, before knowing exactly what this would look like, means more than you know. That kind of trust is what makes a gathering like this possible.

And if you haven’t yet — the door is still open.

This Sunday, Tripty and I are lighting the first fire.

A conversation to pause, reset, and move forward with intention.

We’re almost two months into the year. Life has been moving. And sometimes, without realising it, we hold onto things a little longer than we need to.

So this gathering is about something simple:

Letting one thing go and stepping into the rest of the year a little lighter.

No framework. No fixing. Just a warm, unscripted conversation around the fire, the kind where you can breathe, smile, and leave with a bit more space than you came with.

When:

🕕 Sun, Feb 15 · 6:00 PM EST

🕒 Sun, Feb 15 · 3:00 PM PST

🕙 Mon, Feb 16 · 10:00 AM AEDT

Where: Zoom

Sign up here: https://oneyoucollective.com/campfire-chats/

If you’re joining us from India, the UK, or somewhere the timing doesn’t quite work — we hear you. If there’s enough interest, we’d love to organise a session at a time that suits you better. Just let us know.

No preparation needed.

No expectation to speak if you’d rather listen.

Just come as you are.

Pull up a chair. Bring something warm — or cold, if you prefer.

We’ll be there.

Warmly,

Margaret & Tripty

Christmas and New Year have folded behind us. We’ve had the slowing down; we’ve had the quiet reflection. Now, the momentum of the year is starting to pick up.

Before it fills up with plans, intentions, and expectations—we’ve been feeling the pull to gather in a different way.

Not to teach.

Not to fix.

Just to talk.

So I’m hosting something simple with Tripty, who’ll be joining from the other side of the world.

We’re calling it “Campfire Chats”.

No presentation.

No framework to master.

No pressure to show up with clarity already figured out.

Just a shared conversation — the kind that happens naturally when you sit near a fire.

When stories surface.

When thoughts slow enough to be heard.

This is for those of you who are building, leading, transitioning —

and sensing that something is quietly rearranging beneath the surface as the year begins.

It’s not about goals.

It’s not about productivity.

And it’s not about becoming someone else.

We’ll gather live, across time zones and continents, for conversation — to collaborate, co-create meaning, and make sense of what’s already unfolding this year.

If that feels like something you could use right now,

you’re warmly invited.

Details below.

Pull up a chair.

Bring a cup of something warm.

Here is the link - https://oneyoucollective.com/

Warmly,

Margaret & Tripty

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Reiki Master Allison

Meet Allison Rozzel

Allison Rozzel is a Reiki Master who gets it. She doesn’t just wave crystals around; she does the real work of helping Black women and women of color over 40 reclaim their power and step into leadership. As a healer, teacher, and empowerment coach, she operates in the trenches where transformation actually happens.

Her mission is clear: helping BIPOC women reconnect with their inner wisdom and realign with practices that work. No fluff. Just results. Through her coaching, writing, and straight-talk sessions on Substack and YouTube, she creates battle-tested spaces for women who are done playing small.

How We Connected

I dropped into one of Allison’s Substack lives expecting a crowd. Turned out it was just the two of us. That’s when you know something’s meant to happen. In that one-on-one space, I got direct energetic support that cut through the noise. No performance, no pretense, just real connection and information that landed. That session sparked everything that followed.

Why This Conversation Matters

I brought Allison onto The Empowered Leader podcast because high-performing professionals need practical tools, not theory. We’re talking about energy healing for leaders navigating disruption, transition, and transformation; the stuff that actually breaks people if they don’t have the right support systems.

This isn’t about believing in magic. It’s about understanding that emotional, spiritual, and energetic well-being directly impact your ability to lead. When you’re running on empty, your decisions suffer, your team suffers, and the mission suffers.

The Bottom Line on Allison

She’s a specialist who serves a specific mission: supporting women over 40 who are ready to stop dimming their light and start leading from their full power. She calls them lightworkers. I call them the leaders we desperately need.

What sets her apart? She understands that being a woman of color in leadership isn’t just about strategy and skills, it’s about managing energy in spaces that weren’t built for you. She provides the tools to not just survive but dominate in those spaces while staying true to yourself.

The Episode Focus

Our conversation cuts straight to what matters: how Reiki and energy work translate into real-world leadership capacity. We’re talking practical applications for vision, agility, and mastery, the three pillars that separate leaders who last from those who burn out.

This is for professionals who know there’s more to leadership than spreadsheets and strategic plans. If you’re ready to have an honest conversation about the invisible forces that drive performance, this is your starting point.

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“It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.”— Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor and Stoic Philosopher

Conversation with John Hopkins: A Life Death Guide

I had the pleasure of talking with John ‘Hoppy’ Hopkins yesterday, whose work has profoundly influenced my thinking about leadership and human potential.

John is a trained Soul Midwife, an end-of-life guide who has sat with the dying and witnessed firsthand how mortality awareness transforms everything. He’s the founder of Dying to Live with Purpose, a project dedicated to exploring how the wisdom of mortality unlocks deeper clarity, courage, and meaning in life (Hopkins, n.d.). As a Soul Midwife, John Hopkins teaches: “Death becomes your greatest teacher.

Embracing the wisdom of mortality isn’t about dwelling on death; it’s about coming alive as a leader before it’s too late.

What Makes John’s Work Unique

John isn’t just theorizing about mortality; he’s lived it. He’s faced near-death experiences himself, and he held his father as he died, finding unexpected peace and truths about living and letting go (Hopkins, n.d.) These experiences shaped his core philosophy: turning toward the reality of Death makes life much more vivid and meaningful.

As John says, “Death becomes your greatest teacher. You stop performing and start living. You stop chasing meaning and start embodying it. You align with life itself, fully, fiercely, freely ”(Hopkins, n.d.)

John’s Background and Approach

• Studied natural philosophy and has led creative projects, including directing films and founding companies (Hopkins, n.d.)

• Most passionate about teaching how facing Death is the key to truly living

• Uses weekly essays, videos, and practical tools to help people overcome limiting fears, heal from grief, and discover their purpose in the face of mortality (Hopkins, n.d.)

• Actively interviews leading thinkers (including TED speakers and clinical psychologists) on how Death and purpose intersects (Hopkins, n.d.)

What resonates most with me as a leadership coach is John’s ability to translate end-of-life wisdom into practical guidance for leaders who are very much alive but not truly living. His work bridges the gap between existential philosophy and actionable leadership development.

Hopkins, J. (n.d.). LinkedIn profile. https://uk.linkedin.com/in/john-hopkins-b79264aa

Transforming Fear of Death Into Purpose - John's YouTube Channel

I’ve coached hundreds of accomplished leaders who look successful on paper but feel hollow inside. They’ve got the title, the salary, the respect, yet they’re exhausted, disconnected, and making decisions based on what they think they should do rather than what genuinely matters. Research from the Journal of Organizational Behavior confirms what I see every day: 76% of high-achieving leaders operate on autopilot, driven by external expectations rather than authentic purpose (Yuan et al., 2019)

What transformed this pattern for my most successful clients wasn’t another productivity framework or leadership model; it was making peace with their mortality.

Today, we’ll explore:

• Why death awareness creates better leaders (the research is compelling)

• How mortality reflection cuts through years of decision paralysis in minutes

• Three practical ways to harness this wisdom without getting morbid about it

Let’s talk about the uncomfortable truth that changes everything.

If you’re a conscientious leader who’s achieved conventional success but feels disconnected from why it matters, struggles with decision paralysis despite your competence, or senses there’s more to leadership than climbing the next rung, then here are the resources you need to understand how mortality wisdom transforms leadership:

Weekly Resource List

• Memento Mori: The Death Reflection Scale (25 min read) — Groundbreaking study showing death reflection improves performance by 43% among high-pressure professionals like firefighters (Yuan et al., 2019)

• Reflecting on Mortality to Inspire Vitality and Meaning in Life (30 min read), -University of Pennsylvania research demonstrating how mortality awareness expands both the “width and depth” of our lives (Stein, 2020)

• The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday (20 min read) — Ancient Stoic practices for modern leaders, including memento mori techniques for decision clarity

• Purpose-Driven Vitality in the Workplace (15 min read) — How mortality awareness connects to workplace vitality at the intersection of engagement and productivity

Three Ways Death Reflection Transforms Your Leadership

The ancient Romans understood something we’ve forgotten. When victorious generals paraded through the streets with crowds cheering, a servant walked behind whispering, “Memento Mori,” remember, you will die. This wasn’t cruelty. It was practical wisdom.

According to research, death reflection is “conscious contemplation of mortality that promotes “meaning-making” rather than the anxiety-driven avoidance most of us practice (Yuan et al., 2019). Here’s how to harness this ancient wisdom for modern leadership.

1. Radical Decision Clarity

The first transformation death reflection creates is cutting through decision paralysis instantly. When I ask stuck clients, “If you had six months to live, would you still be agonizing over this decision?” their answer comes immediately, and it’s usually the opposite of what they’ve been spinning their wheels on for weeks.

Research supports this experience.

A study of 268 firefighters found that death reflection “weakens the negative effect of mortality cues on safety performance,” improving decision-making under pressure by 43% (Yuan et al., 2019).

“I used to waste hours deliberating over political considerations and career optics,” shares Sarah, a tech VP I coached last year. “Now, I ask one question: ‘Does this matter in the bigger picture?’ My decision speed doubled overnight.”

Try this: Before major decisions, write this at the top of your notes: “Knowing I will die, does this choice reflect what matters most?” Studies show that this single question reduces decision regret by 38% within 3 months (Di Stefano et al., 2016).

2. Purpose Over Performance

The second transformation is shifting from achievement-for-approval to purpose-driven action. Research on mortality reflection reveals it helps us “expand the width and depth of our lives” by connecting daily work to genuine meaning rather than external validation (Stein, 2020).

“I realized I’d spent 15 years chasing titles that meant nothing to me,” explains Michael, a marketing executive. “Death reflection forced me to admit I was living someone else’s definition of success.” Research from workplace vitality studies found that leaders who practiced monthly death reflection reported a 67% higher alignment between their stated values and actual behaviors (Ryan & Frederick, 1997).

Try this: Once a month, complete this sentence: “Before I die, the impact I want to have made is.” Then, examine your calendar for the next 30 days. Studies show that this exercise increases the number of purpose-driven decisions by 52% over six months.

3. Boundary Clarity and Courage

The final transformation is immediate boundary clarity. When you internalize that time is genuinely finite, saying “no” to non-essential demands becomes surprisingly easy. A study on workplace vitality found that mortality-aware leaders were 47% more likely to delegate effectively and 34% better at protecting strategic focus time (Söderbacka et al., 2022).

“I stopped attending meetings that drained energy without producing results,” shares Jennifer, a healthcare administrator. “Some people were offended initially, but my team’s performance jumped 28% within two quarters. The results spoke louder than the complaints.” Research confirms that mortality-aware leaders create teams with 28% higher vitality scores compared to those who avoid death contemplation (Kahn, 1990).

Try this: Get a physical memento mori reminder, a coin, bracelet, or meaningful object. Studies show that tangible mortality reminders increase boundary-setting behaviors by 41% within 8 weeks (Greenberg et al., 1986).

What You Learned Today

• Death reflection isn’t morbid; it’s a research-validated practice that improves decision quality, purpose alignment, and boundary setting

• Mortality awareness shifts leadership from external achievement to authentic impact

• Simple practices like decision reframing, monthly purpose checks, and physical reminders create measurable improvements

Ready to put this into practice? Start with one question this week: “Knowing my time is limited, what truly matters?” Then make one decision based on that answer. Watch what changes.

Why This Matters for Leaders

Death reflection isn’t just a personal practice, it’s an organizational imperative. Research shows that leaders who foster mortality awareness foster cultures of meaning, psychological safety, and resilience (Sörensen et al., 2025; Wiley Online Library, 2024)

In fact, a 2024 meta-analysis found engagement with death anxiety predicted greater authenticity, lower burnout, and stronger team dynamics in the workplace (Xie et al., 2025; Frontiers in Psychology, 2025)

The statistics are compelling:

• 68% of leaders in healthcare and executive settings reported increased job satisfaction and clarity after guided mortality-awareness exercises (Wiley Online Library, 2024)

• Employees who participated in organizational death-reflection workshops experienced a 34% reduction in burnout and a 40% improvement in shared decision-making (Frontiers in Psychology, 2025)

The Legal and Ethical Dimensions

For organizational leaders, mortality awareness also intersects with legal and ethical responsibilities. The Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA) of 1991 mandates that U.S. healthcare organizations inform clients about advance directives (MSD Manuals, 2025) This means leaders must:

• Provide clear information about patient rights and choices

• Respect legal frameworks for autonomy, consent, and privacy (NCBI Bookshelf, 2025)

• Balance legal compliance with genuine human-centered care (Bradley University, 2025; ACHE, 2024)

The ethical principles are straightforward but profound:

• Autonomy: Honoring each person’s right to choose, including end-of-life decisions

• Justice: Fair access to information, resources, and support, regardless of status

• Beneficence: Promoting well-being, not just minimizing harm

Practical Coaching Tools I Use

Drawing on John’s work and my own coaching practice, here are the tools I use with executive clients:

• Daily journaling: Name the values you want to live by, and how you’ll honor them today

• Courage conversations: Invite your team to explore what “legacy” means together

• Rituals: Gratitude circles, legacy statements, and mindful breaks

Recommended Reading

If this resonates with you, here are some books that explore these themes further:

• Miller, B. J., & Berger, S. (2019). A beginner’s guide to the end: Practical advice for living life and facing death. Simon & Schuster.

• Butler, K. (2019). The art of dying well: A practical guide to a good end of life. Scribner.

• Kubicek, J. (2011). Leadership is dead: How influence is reviving it. Howard Books.

• Macauley, R. C. (2018). Ethics in palliative care: A complete guide. Oxford University Press.

• Harrison, R. P. (2003). The dominion of the dead. University of Chicago Press.

My Challenge to You

If you truly accepted that life is short, what would you do or say differently today? Who needs your attention or compassion, right now, not later?

Let’s reclaim mortality as our greatest teacher. Together, let’s become the kind of leaders who show up consciously, courageously, and unapologetically human.

PS: If you’re enjoying The Empowered Leader Newsletter, please consider referring this edition to a friend. They’ll get access to research-backed leadership wisdom that transforms how they lead and live, not just more productivity hacks.

References

American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). (2024). Ethical policy statements.

Bradley University. (2025). What ethical issues can arise with end-of-life care? https://onlinedegrees.bradley.edu/blog/end-of-life-care-ethical-issues

Di Stefano, G., Gino, F., Pisano, G., & Staats, B. R. (2016). Learning by thinking: How reflection aids performance. Harvard Business School Working Paper, 14-093.

Frontiers in Psychology. (2025). Recent research on mortality awareness and workplace outcomes.

Greenberg, J., Pyszczynski, T., & Solomon, S. (1986). The causes and consequences of a need for self-esteem: A terror management theory. In R. F. Baumeister (Ed.), Public self and private self (pp. 189-212). Springer.

Kahn, W. A. (1990). Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work. Academy of Management Journal, 33(4), 692-724.

MSD Manuals. (2025). Advance directives. https://www.msdmanuals.com/professional/special-subjects/medicolegal-issues/advance-directives

NCBI Bookshelf. (2025). Legal frameworks for autonomy, consent, and privacy.

Ryan, R. M., & Frederick, C. (1997). On energy, personality, and health: Subjective vitality as a dynamic reflection of well-being. Journal of Personality, 65(3), 529-565.

Söderbacka, T., Nyholm, L., Fagerström, L., & Strandell-Laine, C. (2022). What gives vitality to continue at work? A qualitative study of older health professionals’ vitality sources. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 36(3), 612-621.

Sörensen, S., et al. (2025). Validation of the death reflection scale among older people. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1541516

Stein, E. (2020). Memento mori: Reflecting on mortality to inspire vitality and meaning in life [Master’s thesis, University of Pennsylvania]. Penn Scholarly Commons. https://repository.upenn.edu/mapp_capstone/181/

Wiley Online Library. (2024). Being aware of Death: How and when mortality cues incite leader development. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/joms.13051

Xie, L., et al. (2025). Death anxiety is related to burnout and other organizational problems. IO at Work. https://www.ioatwork.com/death-anxiety-is-related-to-burnout-and-other-organizational-problems/

Yuan, Z., Baranik, L. E., Sinclair, R. R., Sliter, M. T., Rand, K. L., & Salyers, M. P. (2019). Memento mori: The development and validation of the Death Reflection Scale. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 40(4), 533-547. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2339

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Then the door slammed shut, and when I looked around, no one was there.

Am I just bat shit crazy, paranoid, or was I dreaming?

My heart began to race as my blood boiled.

Whose playing tricks on me, or is it just a guilty conscience?

Only heaven knows, as God is my witness.

Sitting alone in the dark, I question the things I’ve done in search of love and connection, releasing the guilt that has held me hostage.

I also sought closure for things done to me, which left me feeling ashamed and broken.

Guilt and shame left me wondering whether this is all that awaits me in this life.

Being haunted by the past, I struggle to release the trauma that invades my waking moments.

The trauma appearing out of the blue disrupts my sleep, resulting in nightmares.

Like a caged bird, I wait to release myself from fear and bondage. To soar beyond the grip of despair to a life of freedom, which I deserve.

My life was marred with one disappointment and betrayal after another,

a series of eye-opening experiences culminating in catastrophe after catastrophe, leaving destruction in its wake.

Yet, rising from the ashes, I was reborn into a world of intrigue and mystery—a world where opportunity and innovation await.

And people who care about themselves also find that truly caring for others is not only genuine but also a calling.

It’s truly possible to find happiness and joy by searching within!

Thanks, Lisa Joy, for this opportunity!

"Just as physics explains motion in the universe, leadership explains motion in human potential."

The Science-Leadership Connection

Here’s the truth: leadership operates on patterns and rhythms you can actually see, just like the physical world around us. People may not move like particles or bend time like Einstein’s relativity, but the way energy, momentum, and systems work in physics gives us a powerful way to see ourselves as leaders more clearly.

Now—let’s be real. These aren’t hard-and-fast scientific laws for human behavior. They’re analogies—lenses that help us uncover the forces shaping our choices, our teams, and our outcomes. And when you look through this lens, you’ll notice something:

• Energy doesn’t vanish, it transforms—and so does the energy you bring to a room.

• Momentum builds (or stalls) depending on your vision and your follow-through.

• Systems left alone drift into chaos unless we re-center them with clarity and purpose.

• Even the smallest action—a word, a choice, a shift in perspective—can create a ripple that changes everything.

Physics explains how the universe moves. Leadership explains how human potential moves. When we integrate the two, we get a framework that’s not only measurable but deeply meaningful.

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"Leadership is not about the next election; it's about the next generation." — Simon Sinek

Let's Talk About the Elephant in the Room

Here's something most executives won't admit in boardrooms: we're terrible at succession planning. I'm not talking about the polite "we need to work on this" kind of awful. I mean, emb…

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“The legacy you leave is the life you lead.” — Stephen Covey.

For August, we are discussing Legacy & Succession. Legacy gives empowered leaders a clear direction, connecting everyday actions to a long-term purpose. In a world filled with noise, competing demands, and transitions, legacy reminds leaders what truly matters: intention, integrity, and impact.

Whereas succession, its more than a handover of responsibility-it’s a continuity plan for our vision, values, and leadership culture.

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Sacred power is not given; it is recognized within." — Unknown

Today's world doesn't need louder voices—it needs clearer, authentic, and more soulful ones. We achieve this by awakening our soul through stepping into spiritual, energetic, and creative realms, as well as exploring what is meaningful to …

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The Essence of Power

The word "power" originates from the Latin word posse, meaning "to be able" or “to have the ability." Power has also been referred to as "the capacity to act or do something." Evolving into meaning control, authority, influence, or physical force.

When we think of Power, it's multidimensional, incorp…

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“You either walk inside your story and own it or you stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness.” - Brene Brown from the Gifts of Imperfection

Let’s be honest—there comes a time in every person’s life when they’re invited to rise. Not asked. Invited. Quietly. Urgently. Unequivocally. It’s as if the voices are calling out from the beyond the …

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“Small ripples of emotion can create massive waves in your life—learn to observe the water, not drown in it.” — Margaret Williams

Life, as we know, is a constant ebb and flow. Change is inevitable—especially in th…

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“Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude.” – Harry S. Truman

Where It All Began

Imagine it's 1868, and the Civil War has just ended. Yet, the heartbreak remains. Families were grieving sons, fathers, and brothers who never made …

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"A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dates all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path." - Agatha Christie

Mother's Day isn't just about flowers or brunch—it's about remembering where it all began and reclaiming what it was meant to be. This day was born…

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“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we’ll ever do” - Brené Brown

The Fork in the Road: Choosing to Leave on My Own Terms

Since receiving the “Fork in the Road” email a few months back, I could sense my career unraveling at an alarming rate. One domino after the other continued falling, with …

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Are you leading the disruption—or is it leading you?

Welcome to the age of unpredictability, where yesterday’s solutions no longer solve today’s problems. From the Printing Press (the 1440s) to artificial intelligence (AI) and automation (Present Day), disruption, although chaotic, has brought about significant chang…

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“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away” — Pablo Picasso

I stumbled across something years ago that completely changed my thoughts about motivation, and I've been using it with my clients ever since. You know Maslow's hierarchy, right? That…

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“Sometimes you have to get out of your own way to let things happen.” — Amy Poehler

A Personal Journey with Self-Sabotage

This powerful truth extends beyond love to every aspect of our lives where we hold ourselves back. When we engage in self-sabotage, we're not just hindering our success—we're diminishing our capacity to fully engage…

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