When OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced in March 2025 that the company’s COO would take on an expanded global role, the news signaled more than just an internal reshuffle. With AI adoption accelerating and public scrutiny mounting, leadership decisions at OpenAI now ripple across industries. In moments such as these, how a leader reacts — and just as importantly, how they don’t — becomes a defining factor.

But the strongest leaders take a different approach. They don’t rush to spin a story, control the narrative or make decisions just to be seen doing something. They stay focused on what’s happening now, keeping both what happened yesterday and what could happen tomorrow in context but at arm’s length. They think clearly, act deliberately and stay grounded. That’s the heart of neutral thinking.

Neutral thinking isn’t about staying quiet or avoiding emotion. It’s about stepping back just enough to see clearly and reserve the need to jump to conclusions too quickly. When the stakes are high, clarity is often the most valuable thing a leader can bring. Practicing neutral thinking doesn’t require a total shift in leadership style. It comes down to a few deliberate behaviors that help you stay grounded when it matters most.

Related: As a Leader, You Set the Tone — Here’s Why Staying Calm Builds a Stronger Business

1. Lead from what’s real, not what you wish were true

In executive coaching, neutrality is one of the most consistently useful tools leaders can develop. It’s not flashy, but it works, especially under pressure. Neutral leaders focus on the situation as it is, not as they wish it were. They avoid assumptions, don’t take one side too fast, acknowledge what’s real and ask, “What’s the next step we can take, based on what we know right now?” This kind of thinking creates calm in environments that are anything but calm. And when teams are watching their leaders for cues, calm is contagious.

Sheldon Yellen, CEO of BELFOR, a disaster recovery company that operates globally, understands this firsthand. His teams respond to some of the most chaotic situations imaginable, from wildfires to hurricanes. He puts it simply: “In a crisis, I look at the facts, what we can act on right now, what’s the next most logical step. It takes the emotion and noise out of decision-making, which keeps my team steady and moving forward.”

When leaders show up clear and collected, others tend to follow suit. That effect is a kind of emotional mirroring, and it’s what makes neutrality such a powerful stabilizer. It doesn’t just help the leader think more clearly; it helps the entire team perform more effectively.

2. Stay emotionally present without being led by emotion

There’s a common misunderstanding that neutrality means shutting down emotionally or becoming robotic. The opposite is true. Neutral leaders stay deeply connected to their teams; they just don’t let heightened emotions derail their judgment.

It’s possible to be empathetic and even emotionally present while staying centered. That balance is where strong leadership lives. The goal isn’t to suppress feelings, but to avoid being led by them. Good leaders know how to acknowledge tension, validate what others are experiencing and then guide the group forward.

Research supports this. A 2025 study published in Administrative Sciences found that key dimensions of emotional intelligence, including self-regulation and empathy, significantly predicted employee performance — even in crisis conditions. Self-regulation alone was found to be one of the strongest predictors of employee performance, making it a critical trait for leaders navigating high-pressure situations.

That’s why neutrality often feels steady, not cold. People want to know that their leader sees them and hears them, but also that their leader knows what to do next.

3. Set the emotional tone your team will follow

Stress spreads quickly in teams. When leaders lose their emotional control, the anxiety multiplies. People second-guess decisions, communication gets muddy, and progress slows down. But when a leader stays composed, the opposite happens. The room settles. Priorities become clearer. Energy shifts from reaction to action.

This mirror effect isn’t about personality. It’s about presence. People take emotional cues from the person in charge. The more consistent that presence is (in good times and bad), the more trust builds.

Recent research shows that emotionally grounded leaders help teams feel safer and more capable of adapting during periods of uncertainty. When leaders stay calm and focused, their teams are better able to regulate their own stress and continue performing effectively.

In coaching conversations, we often ask leaders, “What mood do you bring into the room?” That’s not about being upbeat or optimistic all the time. It’s about being intentional. Leaders set the tone, whether they mean to or not.

Related: The Best Leaders Have This Underrated Leadership Trait — and You Can Build It

4. Use daily rituals to stay steady under pressure

Neutral thinking doesn’t just happen in the heat of the moment. It’s built and maintained through habits. The most effective leaders practice this discipline long before they need it. They rely on what some call anchoring rituals — simple daily routines that keep them centered, even when everything else feels uncertain.

For some, that’s a morning routine that brings focus before the day starts. For others, it’s a brief check-in with direct reports to reset priorities and listen for friction points. Others rely on gratitude practices, quiet walks or even listening to the same song every day to clear their minds.

Jeff Weiner, the former CEO of LinkedIn, famously blocked “white space” on his calendar each day — time reserved for reflection, strategic thinking and resetting his mental state. That practice helped him make clearer, more deliberate decisions, even when external pressure was high.

What matters isn’t the specific ritual. It’s the intention behind it. These anchors create a sense of control in a world that rarely offers it. And when leaders feel steady, they lead more clearly and more consistently.

5. Model the behavior you want others to follow

The most impactful leaders don’t just stay calm — they show their teams what calm looks like in action. Whether it’s pausing before responding, focusing on facts or approaching problems step by step, the way a leader behaves under pressure becomes the blueprint others follow.

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, is known for maintaining composure in high-stakes environments — and doing so intentionally. He emphasizes the importance of staying grounded when under pressure, explaining that leadership isn’t about controlling others but about modeling the behavior you want to see. That steady presence is one reason Google’s internal culture continues to rank high in transparency and trust.

When leaders model steadiness, they give their teams permission to do the same. These actions don’t need to be dramatic. Often, it’s the quietest move — a pause, a clear sentence, a visible moment of composure — that sets the tone for everyone else.

Related: Leaders Aren’t Judged on Effort — They’re Judged on Their Judgment. Here’s How to Sharpen Yours.

The strongest move may be the quietest one

In difficult moments, leaders often feel the pressure to do something. Say something. Fill the silence. Show certainty, even when things are unclear. While taking action is critical for all progress, often, the most powerful move is the one that doesn’t look dramatic from the outside. It’s the choice that was made after a deep breath, good listening, a pause. To wait for clarity before making decisions. To hold the team steady when everything around them is shaking.

Neutral thinking gives leaders a way to do exactly that. It’s not about avoidance. It’s not about detachment. It’s about presence: clear, calm and committed. And in the moments that matter most, that might be the clearest leadership signal you can send.