Between the Coffee Pot and the Corner Office:

Why the Greatest Leaders Influence in the In-Between

“Leadership doesn’t happen at meetings. It happens in the margins.” That sentence – easy to overlook – contains a profound truth that the best leaders already understand. For all the performance reviews, slide decks, and strategy sessions, the heart of leadership lies elsewhere. It lies in the unscripted, low-stakes, deeply human spaces that live between the official moments. Leadership is not forged in policy. It’s cultivated in presence.

This is the spirit behind what Bette A. Ludwig, PhD, calls “Coffee Pot Leadership.” In her words: “No buzzwords – just a lifetime of high-impact results on people.” It’s a refreshing reminder that leading effectively is not about jargon, titles, or performative perfection. It’s about being present – genuinely, consistently, and humbly. Think about the quiet leader who makes time to ask, not perform. The one who doesn’t need to be loud to be respected. These are the ones whose presence at the coffee pot or casual team gathering holds more influence than a CEO’s keynote. The real work of leadership happens in these unglamorous spaces – early morning chats, shared laughter in the hallway, or a calm tone in the middle of a chaotic day.

But presence without emotional awareness can quickly curdle. As Clayton Thompson powerfully notes, leadership becomes fragile when correction replaces connection. “I still remember the first time feedback felt like a warning,” he writes, reflecting on a moment when…