Why I dance

Hi Reader,

Welcome to Your Dose of Mana — a quick, weekly note with:
1 real story
1 leadership insight
1 practical takeaway

This is why I dance

1 Real Story
I started dancing when I lived in New Zealand — after my partner left me.

At first, it was just something to get me out of the house. Something social. Something that didn’t require me to lead.

Because at that point in my life, I led everywhere else.
At work, I was turning around a struggling organization of over a hundred people.
At home, I was managing finances and raising my daughter.
Everywhere I turned, I was the one in charge.

But on the dance floor? I was supposed to just follow.

That was hard…at first.

When I rowed, I followed when I wasn’t stroke. Then I could channel my energy into driving and pulling hard. That worked well in a boat. But on the dance floor, not so much. I couldn’t muscle my way through it. I had to listen. To feel. To trust the lead.

I was lucky. One of the top dancers in New Zealand — my friend Andrew — took me under his wing. He’d spin me, twist me, and somehow place me exactly where he wanted me to go.

When we danced, it was pure joy.
It was the one place in my life where my brain stopped spinning.

Amy in a red strappy dress in a dip, on her back, head towards the camera, as Chris dressed all in black with a black hat holds her with outstretched arms. Amy has her right leg bent as support and her left leg extended. Her right arm is up over her head and her left is down resting on Chris' right arm which is holding her left hip. — I went to one competition in NZ. This is me and my dance partner Chris Best. As I recall barely/never danced together before that weekend.

Because I had to focus — not on control, not on outcomes — but on connection and letting go of…control.
And when I did that, it was easy. And everything else fell away.

Dancing is freedom.
It is creative, playful, and fun — it’s the closest I’ve come to being irresponsible in a life full of responsibility.

1 Leadership Insight
Leading and following may look like opposites, but they’re both acts of awareness.

On the dance floor, following well isn’t passive. It’s responsive. You’re attuned, adaptable, and open to direction. It’s a partnership.

The same is true in leadership. The best leaders don’t just drive forward — they sense, respond, and adjust. They move with their teams, not just ahead of them.

Sometimes the most powerful move isn’t to lead harder, but to follow more intentionally.

1 Practical Takeaway

This week, think about your own rhythm:

Where might you be over-leading when you could lean into trust instead?
What would happen if you created more space for responsiveness, not just results?
Where could following — truly listening, sensing, and adjusting — lead to better flow?

Because like in dance, leadership isn’t about control — it’s about connection. And that’s where the magic happens.

Every leader has a rhythm — some just need help finding their beat again. That’s what I do.

P.S. I’m loving hearing from folks I haven’t been in contact with for a while AND from those of you who are giving me feed back on these emails. Keep it coming!!!

Even though this is a “mass email” I mean it when I say—let me know what you are up to. Reply, book a Zoom, pick up the phone. I’d love to catch up.

And if leadership, culture, or people challenges are taking up too much brain space lately—
→ Book a complimentary 30-minute strategy session.

Thanks for letting me show up in your inbox.
See you next week with another Dose.

More joy. Less friction. Always.
—Amy

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