What Chess, Silence, and Walking Can Teach You About Leadership

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Why Leadership Is More Than Talking and Doing

Most people think leadership means being loud, visible, and always busy. In reality, some of the best leaders are quiet, steady, and thoughtful. They don’t rush. They don’t show off. They make better decisions because they take time to think.

Leadership isn’t just about what you say. It’s about how you show up.

Three habits—chess, silence, and walking—can help you become a better leader. These are tools you can use to think more clearly, respond with purpose, and guide others more effectively.

They don’t cost anything. They don’t need fancy apps or training. But they work.

What Chess Teaches About Decision-Making

Chess is a game of strategy. You can’t win by rushing. You need to plan, predict, and pause.

Good leaders work the same way.

Dr. Andre Posner, a physician and educator, starts most mornings with a chess puzzle. “It’s five minutes of slow thinking,” he says. “It reminds me to pause before I react.”

That habit shows up in his leadership style. During hospital rounds, he gives his medical residents time to think. Instead of jumping in with answers, he asks a question—then waits. He says those extra five seconds often help his students find their own voice.

In leadership, thinking before reacting gives you the edge. According to a study published in Harvard Business Review, leaders who pause before making high-stakes decisions reduce errors by over 25%. Chess trains that pause. It helps you think three moves ahead—on or off the board.

What Silence Teaches About Listening

Silence makes people uncomfortable. But great leaders use it.

Most meetings are filled with noise—fast talk, quick answers, non-stop input. But silence is a tool. When used well, it helps others speak up and think more deeply.

Andre Posner started using silence on purpose. “Early in my career, I filled every pause. I thought that’s what good teachers did. Then I realised the silence wasn’t empty. It was a space where people could think.”

Now, when he teaches residents, he lets them speak first. He pauses after asking questions. He listens longer. “The quiet moments are often where the learning happens,” he says.

Silence shows confidence. It tells your team: “You have time. You don’t need to rush.” That builds trust and allows smarter ideas to surface.

In one 2020 MIT Sloan study, teams that allowed for regular silence in meetings had a 43% higher idea adoption rate. That’s because people felt safer and more included.

Silence also helps you read the room. When you’re not talking, you’re noticing. You can spot when someone’s confused or when energy shifts.

Try it. Pause before you speak. Wait five seconds longer in your next team meeting. Watch what happens.

What Walking Teaches About Presence

Walking might sound too simple to matter, but it works.

Every day, leaders are hit with noise—emails, updates, deadlines. That mental clutter builds up fast. Walking clears the static.

Andre Posner takes short walks between hospital units—without his phone. “That’s where I do my real thinking,” he says. “Those walks help me reset. I’ve solved more problems walking than I have sitting at a desk.”

You don’t need an hour. Even five to ten minutes helps. One Stanford study showed that walking boosts creative thinking by up to 60%. It also lowers stress, helps regulate mood, and improves focus.

Walking changes your pace—literally. It pulls you out of “reactive mode” and into reflection. That pause in motion lets you return to work sharper.

Many great leaders, from Steve Jobs to Abraham Lincoln, were known for walking during tough decisions. It’s a proven way to separate signal from noise.

Actionable Tips for Leaders

You don’t have to change your whole routine. Just start with one shift.

1. Start Your Day With a Mental Warm-Up

Try a quick chess puzzle or logic game. If you’re not into games, write down three decisions you need to make. Pause before you decide.

2. Build in “Thinking Pauses”

In meetings, ask a question and count to five before saying anything. Give people space to process. They’ll surprise you.

3. Use Silence to Lead

Don’t interrupt. Don’t fill every second with talking. Let silence create room for ideas. Try 30-second quiet reflection breaks during team sessions.

4. Walk Without Distractions

Take one 10-minute walk every day without your phone. Let your brain breathe. Use that time to think, reset, or plan your next steps.

5. Share Your Process

Tell your team how you use silence, thinking, and small habits. It normalises a slower, more thoughtful way of leading.

Final Thoughts

Leadership doesn’t always look like action. Sometimes it looks like strategy. Sometimes it looks like stillness. Sometimes it looks like a walk between meetings.

Chess teaches patience and planning. Silence teaches confidence and listening. Walking teaches clarity and presence.

The best leaders aren’t always the loudest. They’re the ones who know when to pause—and how to use it.

Try one of these habits tomorrow. See what changes.

Because sometimes, the quietest tools make the biggest impact.