313: Put Down the To-Do List: The Power of Doing Nothing with Sabina Nawaz

In Episode 313 of Workday Playdate, Erin sits down with global leadership coach Sabina Nawaz to unpack an idea that feels counterintuitive in a world obsessed with doing: the power of doing nothing . From radical presence to redefining productivity, this conversation explores how creating “blank space” can unlock creativity, clarity, and calm. Erin and Sabina dig into what it means to show up with every cell in your body, why pressure often corrupts our best intentions, and how stillness can be a bold leadership strategy. If you’ve ever felt guilty for slowing down or struggled to find space to think, this episode is your permission slip (and push) to pause. Inside This Episode: Radical Presence: Why being fully engaged—body, mind, and spirit—changes how you lead and connect. Blank Space as Strategy: How creating moments of “nothing” can spark creativity and better decisions. Redefining Productivity: Moving from busyness to meaningful progress. Managing Pressure: Recognizing when intensity turns habits destructive—and how to reset. Reflection Culture: Practical ways to build team rhythms that value pausing, processing, and presence. Who This Episode Is For: Leaders craving calm in the chaos. Teams tired of mistaking motion for momentum. Anyone ready to replace burnout with balance and busyness with breakthroughs. Tune in to learn why sometimes the most productive thing you can do is nothing at all. You’ve outlined your slides, practiced your intro, and told yourself this time you won’t wing it—but when it’s go time, your nerves still take the mic. Enter The 3-Step Presentation Guide : your go-to roadmap for crafting, practicing, and delivering a talk that lands. With this simple system, you’ll calm your nerves, sharpen your message, and step on stage (or into that conference room) with real confidence. Download it now and turn “I hope this goes well” into “I nailed that.” No, You Hang Up First (Let’s Keep Connecting) Did today’s episode resonate with you? Leave us a review sharing your favorite insight and we’ll send you a free signed copy of I See You! A Leader’s Guide to Energizing Your Team through Radical Empathy. Have another question that we can answer? Leave us a Speakpipe audio clip and we’ll answer it in an upcoming episode. Don’t want to miss another episode? If you’re a Spotify listener, find our show here and click “Follow.” If you’re an Apple Podcast listener, click here and make sure to hit “+Follow.” Want access to a bunch of free resources for your work life? This is your personal jackpot that gives you access to the frameworks that help us thrive both personally and professionally. Whether you’re trying to improve your daily routine, flesh out an idea that you’ve had for quite some time, or want to add more play into your day - these resources have got your back. Want 2 emails a week from us? One with a quick tip you can implement right away to enhance your personal and/or professional lives & one of our famous F.A.I.L. Fourward Friday newsletters? Subscribe here . Connect with Sabina Nawaz Sabina’s LinkedIn Sabina’s website Sabina’s book, You’re the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need) Connect with Erin Diehl x improve it! Erin’s website Erin’s Instagram Erin’s TikTok Erin’s LinkedIn improve it!’s website improve it!’s Instagram See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .