18. Why Creating Space Matters More Than Efficiency | Simon Dowling on Intentional Leadership

What if leadership isn't about having all the answers, but about creating the right space for people to thrive? 

And what if the outcomes from meetings weren’t just about being efficiency and effectiveness, but also about being engaging and expansive?

Simon Dowling brings a fascinating blend of legal precision and improvisational creativity to his work with leaders. 

We explore how the most impactful leaders intentionally shape the emotional quality of the environments they create – not just to get things done efficiently, but to generate genuine energy and connection. 

And we get into the classic tension between the desire for control and the opportunity that exists when you let go.

We explore:

• The power of "catalyst questions" that spark energy, thinking, and emotional responses
• The connection between creating space and making intentional choices as a leader
• The "three E's" framework: balancing Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Emotional quality in leadership
• The challenge of creating space within busyness rather than seeing it as something separate
• The concept of "dual awareness" - being conscious of both your internal state and the environment simultaneously
• The power of combining seemingly contradictory skills: pragmatic legal thinking with improvisational creativity
• Practical techniques for developing your "noticing muscle" and being more present as a leader

Whether you're leading a team meeting or a major transformation, this conversation will change how you think about the spaces you create and the choices you make within them.

Simon Dowling is a leading thinker on creating and leading collaborative teams and workplaces. As a speaker, facilitator and educator, he is all about equipping leaders with the inspiration and know-how to build strong, highly engaged teams.

Simon began his career as a commercial lawyer, and is also an experienced improviser, including having been a regular cast member on the hit Australian TV show Thank God You’re Here.

He’s the author of ‘Work With Me’, an authoritative work on the power and pragmatics of collaboration, and his writing spreads further with his insightful posts on LinkedIn. He’s a man worth following and a man worth talking with.

Resources referenced:

• A More Beautiful Question by Warren Berger
• Develop Dual Awareness
• The Moment of Choice
• I Love the Present

You can find Simon at:

Website: https://www.simondowling.com.au/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simondowling-aus/

Check out my services and offerings https://www.digbyscott.com/

Subscribe to my newsletter https://www.digbyscott.com/subscribe

Follow me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/digbyscott/