Rest as a Leadership Strategy with Winnie da Silva

“We are not meant to force ourselves into monochromatic, one-tone grinds that look and feel the same every single day.” - Winnie da Silva

High-performing leaders love a good challenge, so here’s one: can you actually sit still without feeling guilty? Most of us can’t, and there’s a reason for that. Pushing through isn’t always strength, but sometimes the moment you slip into self-neglect without even noticing. In this episode, I wrap up our month-long series on “excellence without exhaustion” by taking a deeper look at how awareness, rhythm, and tiny experiments can shift the entire way we lead. I also share a personal conversation with my daughter that completely reframed how I think about rest… and honestly, it stopped me in my tracks.

You’ll hear me discuss:

• How my daughter’s off-hand comment revealed a deeply ingrained family belief that “doing” equals worth
• Why rest can’t just be about recovering so you can work harder again
• The difference between pushing through as a strength and pushing through as a liability
• The subtle early signals our bodies give us when stress is building and why catching them matters
• What natural biological rhythms look like and how they can guide smarter, more sustainable performance
• How forcing our bodies to match our calendars erodes creativity, wisdom, and compassion
• Why tiny experiments (not big overhauls) create real and lasting change
• The simple nighttime practice I use to stop rumination in its tracks
• How revitalization becomes an act of humility and even a spiritual reset
• Questions you can start using today to notice your patterns, shift your rhythm, and build rest back into your leadership

Winnie da Silva on LinkedIn | On the Web | Substack | YouTube | Email - winnie@winnifred.org

Learn More About Sapiens

• Overview of Sapiens - A short video introduction to Sapiens and their mission to help people in intense jobs manage stress and sustain performance.
• Video: The Diagnostics Journey - See what it’s like to go through the full Sapiens Stress & Resilience Diagnostic and Human Performance Journey.
• Sneak Peek: Sapiens Workshop - Get a behind-the-scenes look at a real Sapiens workshop with a CFO team.

Mentioned Studies

• Impact of long exhales on down-regulating the nervous system and improving mood
• Impact of microbiome composition on social decision making
• The connection between stress and empathy
• Link between empathy and inflammation

Special Offer for Listeners

Jan-Philipp Martini, founder and CEO of Sapiens, is offering Transformative Leadership Conversations listeners a 20% discount on the Sapiens Stress & Resilience Diagnostic and Habit-Change Program, valid through the end of 2025.

It’s a four-month journey that begins with a comprehensive at-home diagnostic — including stress-hormone and cortisol analysis, ECG monitoring, and recovery analytics — followed by three months of expert-guided habit coaching and monthly progress tracking.

Whether stress has already started to take a toll — on your body, your work, or your relationships — or you’re simply curious about how your body responds under pressure, this program can help you understand what’s happening beneath the surface and make small, data-informed changes that build lasting performance and wellbeing.

If you’d like to learn more or see if this program is right for you, you can book a free 15-minute discovery call with a member of the Sapiens team using this link:

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When you sign up, use the podcast code - TLC — and visit www.be-sapiens.com for full details.