Distance creates clarity: The hidden benefits of a Mastermind
Most leaders spend the majority of their time in what researchers call “doing mode.” It’s the state required to make decisions, solve problems, and keep work moving. Doing mode is necessary—but it isn’t sufficient.
Recent research from Oxford suggests that effective leaders also need intentional time in “spacious mode.” This is the mental state that allows space for reflection, perspective, and judgment. Spacious mode isn’t about disengaging from responsibility; it’s about stepping back far enough to see problems more clearly and respond more thoughtfully.
The research is clear: leaders who make room for spacious mode are better at doing mode. When we create space to think, we return to execution with sharper focus and better decisions.
An excerpt from the research puts it this way:
“In order to engage in the spacious mode, have conversations with people who allow you to view the world from different perspectives and enable you to perceive how your habits of mind limit what you know and what you value… Join teams and community groups, online and off, that encourage a sense of spaciousness.”
This insight is especially relevant in today’s hybrid and distributed work environments, where isolation is easy and perspective is harder to come by. Community is no longer a “nice to have.” It is essential to both personal growth and professional effectiveness.
A Community Designed for Spacious Mode
Roeder Consulting’s Project Leader's Mastermind was created with this exact need in mind. It is a peer community for senior leaders responsible for strategy execution—leaders who carry real accountability and rarely get the benefit of stepping away from the noise.
The mastermind creates structured space to step out of habitual, busy patterns of work and into more spacious thinking. Members gain access to peers and perspectives that help them see their challenges differently—and return to their organizations with greater clarity and confidence.
At our most recent annual meeting, members stepped away from day‑to‑day execution to engage with a diverse set of voices, including:
- Gary Cao, Chief Data and Analytics / AI Officer (CDAO), who explored how organizations can responsibly scale AI for growth, efficiency, and competitive advantage.
- Becky Roeder, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Linguistics at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, who provided an evidence‑based lens on how people adapt communication across audiences, norms, and institutional contexts.
- Cathy Warrier, Ph.D., Cognitive Neuroscientist, who introduced practical methods for calming the mind, reducing stress, and improving focus and sleep.
- Bill Schwingel, Certified Empowerment Coach, who completed a three‑part series helping leaders align personal aspirations with career goals to create more balanced, sustainable lives.
What Members Say
Feedback from the meeting reinforced the value of stepping away:
Making Space a Regular Practice
The annual meeting is just one example. Each month, the Project Leader's Mastermind gives members ongoing opportunities to step into spacious mode—through peer discussion, shared problem‑solving, and exposure to ideas that broaden perspective.
The result is not abstract insight, but better judgment, stronger execution, and more sustainable leadership.
If you’re interested in investing time in spacious mode—and seeing the impact it has on how you lead—consider joining a trial Project Leader's Mastermind meeting.
Stepping away, done intentionally, is not time lost.
It’s a strategic advantage.
Project Leader's Mastermind Trial Meeting
MIT Sloan Management Review – Make Space to Be a Wiser Leader
