Understanding the SWIRL: The Five Forces That Steal Clarity From High-Capacity Leaders

Every leader knows the feeling.

One moment you’re steady, clear, moving forward.
The next, something inside shifts — fast — and suddenly everything feels heavier, foggier, more complicated than it should.

You feel it in your chest.
You hear it in your thoughts.
You sense it in your spirit.

That internal shift is what I call the SWIRL.

The swirl is the inner turbulence where stress, fear, expectations, responsibility, and identity collide — usually faster than your clarity can keep up. It’s more than overwhelm. More than distraction. More than pressure.

The SWIRL is the state where leaders lose access to the wisdom, calm, and courage they normally walk in.

To help leaders understand (and interrupt) the swirl, I use a simple framework:

S W I R L

S — Stress / Sudden Internal Surge
W — Worry / What-If Weight
I — Isolation / Invisible Expectations
R — Rumination / Responsibility Distortion
L — Legacy Pressure / Loss of Center

In this first post, we’re focusing on S — Stress / Sudden Internal Surge.
Future posts will explore W, I, R, and L.

S — Stress / Sudden Internal Surge

The swirl almost always begins with a surge, a sudden internal spike of emotion, tension, or fear that hits your system before you can interpret what’s happening.

This surge is the moment when:

• Something unexpected catches you off guard

• A conversation stings more than it should

• A number in a report feels threatening

• A relationship moment at home pulls on you

• An email subject line punches your gut

• A decision suddenly feels heavier than expected

And inside you, something accelerates.

Your heart rate ticks up.
Your mind jumps ahead.
Your thoughts multiply.
Your breath shortens.
Your presence shrinks.
Your clarity dims.

This is Stress in its purest form, not the slow accumulation, but the sudden activation.

It is the Sudden Internal Surge that ignites the rest of the swirl.

You may not show it outwardly.
You may stay composed.
You may keep leading, keep moving, keep performing, keep grinding.

But inside, your internal world is spinning just a little faster — and the swirl is beginning.

Why the Surge Matters

If you miss this early spike, the swirl gains speed.

Miss the S, and you’ll soon face:

• Worry in the form of What-If Weight

• Isolation caused by Invisible Expectations

• Rumination fueled by Responsibility Distortion

• Legacy Pressure that triggers Loss of Center

The surge is small.
But it is the spark.

And clarity depends on naming sparks before they become storms.

How to Interrupt the Surge Before It Becomes a Swirl

Here is a simple practice leaders use inside Confidant Counsel:

1. Name it immediately.

“Something just spiked in me.”
This one sentence slows the internal momentum.

2. Separate signal from story.

Ask:
“What actually happened, and what story did I add to it?”

3. Take a 10-second reset.

Deep inhale. Slow exhale.
You’re reclaiming your internal center.

4. Bring it into safe conversation.

The swirl thrives in isolation.
Clarity grows in a trusted space.

This is why I created The Executive Counsel — leaders need confidential places to sort truth from fear, and responsibility from pressure.

What’s Coming Next

This is Part 1 of a five-part series unpacking the SWIRL:

• W — Worry / What-If Weight

• I — Isolation / Invisible Expectations

• R — Rumination / Responsibility Distortion

• L — Legacy Pressure / Loss of Center

Each post will help you interrupt the swirl earlier and reclaim clarity faster.

A Final Word for the Leader Who Has Felt the Surge

If you’ve felt that sudden spike lately, that internal jolt you didn’t have time to interpret, you’re not failing.

You’re human.
You’re leading in complexity.
And you’re carrying more than most people know.

Clarity is possible.
And the swirl is not permanent.

Stay tuned for Part 2: W — Worry / What-If Weight.