Slowing Down to Lead Better: When I began the ILDP journey through the Insurance Institute of Gauteng, I expected to deepen my leadership capability and gain practical tools relevant to the insurance environment. What I didn’t fully anticipate was how personally challenging and transformative the experience would be, particularly through the Personal Mastery component. The programme required me to slow down, look inward, and engage honestly with how I show up under pressure — at work, at home, and within broader systems.
Working in insurance, and particularly within a high‑performance organisation like Santam, means operating in environments defined by complexity, urgency, and accountability. Over time, I had built my leadership identity around being dependable, composed, and solution‑focused. These qualities are valued and necessary. ILDP, however, challenged me to examine how these same strengths, when driven by urgency or overthinking, can unintentionally limit shared ownership, psychological safety, and deeper thinking.
The Discipline of Listening Differently
One of the most impactful learnings for me came from the Thinking Environment. The simple discipline of listening without interruption was far more confronting than I expected. I became aware of how frequently I interrupt conversations, often with positive intent — to clarify, guide, or move things forward efficiently. What I had not fully recognised was how this disrupts thinking and limits others’ ability to fully explore their ideas and perspectives.
Applying this learning in my role as a Relationship Manager at Santam shifted the quality of engagement in conversations with external and internal stakeholders. By intentionally slowing down, allowing silence, and listening with attention, discussions moved beyond surface‑level problem solving. Systemic issues surfaced more clearly, and conversations evolved into shared accountability rather than quick fixes. The impact was not only improved outcomes, but stronger trust and collaboration across the value chain.
Leadership Beyond Organisational Roles
This learning extended into my personal life as well. As a parent of teenage children, I noticed similar patterns in my instinct to fix, advise, or control conversations. By practicing presence and restraint at home, I observed greater openness and emotional expression. This reinforced a key insight from ILDP leadership presence is not situational. How we listen and respond shapes every system we are part of.
Another powerful aspect of the programme was the Diversity Group experience. These conversations created a space for honest dialogue across different lived experiences, perspectives, and contexts. Engaging in these discussions challenged my assumptions and deepened my awareness of how identity and experience influence how leadership is received. It reinforced for me that inclusion, equity, and psychological safety are not abstract values, but daily leadership responsibilities.
Learning Through Collaboration
The Action Learning Project further embedded this learning by requiring us to work as a team across different styles and approaches. Rather than focusing solely on outputs, the project highlighted the importance of process, dialogue, and trust. Navigating complexity together reinforced that sustainable results are achieved through collective ownership, not individual control — a critical lesson for effective leadership in the insurance industry.
A Shift in How I Show Up
Throughout the programme, I also became more aware of how overthinking influences my behaviour under pressure. While anticipating risks can add value, it often fuels urgency and reactive responses. Learning to pause, regulate my internal dialogue, and lead with greater awareness has been uncomfortable, but deeply impactful.
ILDP has reshaped how I understand leadership — not as doing more or moving faster, but as leading with presence, intentionality, and trust. For me, this journey has reaffirmed that slowing down is not a weakness.
It is a leadership discipline that strengthens people, performance, and systems across insurance industry.
Chanel Jevon – Santam Insurance
