Go offline with the Player FM app!
Lead with Embodied Presence: Nervous System Tools for Modern Leaders with Dr. Chris L. Johnson, Episode 396
Manage episode 487002130 series 3030571
Have you ever felt the world moving so fast that the only way forward was to stop… and breathe?
Today, I’m joined by Dr. Chris Johnson—founder of Q4 Consulting and the Core Presence Institute, master somatic coach, and author of The Leadership Pause. Chris brings over three decades of experience helping leaders access their inner wisdom, lead with presence, and navigate uncertainty with grace and groundedness.

In This Episode:
- Discover how Dr. Chris Johnson’s transformative journey through trauma inspired her to guide leaders in healing workplace stress by cultivating presence, compassion, and authentic humanity in leadership.
- Learn how nervous system regulation can transform leadership styles, strengthen teams, and create thriving organizational cultures.
- Uncover the power of the simple pause — a practical tool to disrupt reactive patterns, deepen presence, and unlock values-driven, impactful leadership.
- Explore why embodiment is a game-changing leadership skill and how somatic practices help you move beyond head-only thinking into fully embodied, confident presence in both business and life.
- Experience the profound impact of breathwork as the fastest route to presence: reconnect with your body and breath to access clarity, purpose, and integrate mind, heart, and body for transformational leadership from the inside out.
- Learn how leaders can return to their center by grounding in the hara (or “womb space”), using deep breathing, intentional pausing, and reflective practices to release stress and ignite authentic inner power.
Dr. Chris L. Johnson is the founder of Q4 Consulting and the Core Presence Institute, where she helps leaders cultivate presence, resilience, and transformational leadership. With over 30 years of experience across sectors—from healthcare to finance—Chris integrates psychology, somatics, and systems thinking to create healthy, high-performing workplaces. She is a Master Somatic Coach, author of The Leadership Pause, and a sought-after speaker and trainer. Known for her straight talk and deep listening, she guides clients toward embodied action, conscious conversations, and sustainable impact. When not working, Chris enjoys hiking, skiing, writing, and teaching aikido—the art of peace.
“To pause is to interrupt an automatic habit.” ~Dr. Chris L. Johnson
To learn more about Chris, visit her website. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn.
Dr. Chris L. Johnson’s Show Notes
If this episode speaks to you, I invite you to explore my upcoming Equine Vision Journey retreat this July. It’s designed to help women entrepreneurs slow down, reconnect with their bodies, and access powerful new visions for their lives and businesses—in partnership with horses and nature. You can learn more here.
396 episodes
Manage episode 487002130 series 3030571
Have you ever felt the world moving so fast that the only way forward was to stop… and breathe?
Today, I’m joined by Dr. Chris Johnson—founder of Q4 Consulting and the Core Presence Institute, master somatic coach, and author of The Leadership Pause. Chris brings over three decades of experience helping leaders access their inner wisdom, lead with presence, and navigate uncertainty with grace and groundedness.

In This Episode:
- Discover how Dr. Chris Johnson’s transformative journey through trauma inspired her to guide leaders in healing workplace stress by cultivating presence, compassion, and authentic humanity in leadership.
- Learn how nervous system regulation can transform leadership styles, strengthen teams, and create thriving organizational cultures.
- Uncover the power of the simple pause — a practical tool to disrupt reactive patterns, deepen presence, and unlock values-driven, impactful leadership.
- Explore why embodiment is a game-changing leadership skill and how somatic practices help you move beyond head-only thinking into fully embodied, confident presence in both business and life.
- Experience the profound impact of breathwork as the fastest route to presence: reconnect with your body and breath to access clarity, purpose, and integrate mind, heart, and body for transformational leadership from the inside out.
- Learn how leaders can return to their center by grounding in the hara (or “womb space”), using deep breathing, intentional pausing, and reflective practices to release stress and ignite authentic inner power.
Dr. Chris L. Johnson is the founder of Q4 Consulting and the Core Presence Institute, where she helps leaders cultivate presence, resilience, and transformational leadership. With over 30 years of experience across sectors—from healthcare to finance—Chris integrates psychology, somatics, and systems thinking to create healthy, high-performing workplaces. She is a Master Somatic Coach, author of The Leadership Pause, and a sought-after speaker and trainer. Known for her straight talk and deep listening, she guides clients toward embodied action, conscious conversations, and sustainable impact. When not working, Chris enjoys hiking, skiing, writing, and teaching aikido—the art of peace.
“To pause is to interrupt an automatic habit.” ~Dr. Chris L. Johnson
To learn more about Chris, visit her website. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn.
Dr. Chris L. Johnson’s Show Notes
If this episode speaks to you, I invite you to explore my upcoming Equine Vision Journey retreat this July. It’s designed to help women entrepreneurs slow down, reconnect with their bodies, and access powerful new visions for their lives and businesses—in partnership with horses and nature. You can learn more here.
396 episodes
All episodes
×Welcome to Player FM!
Player FM is scanning the web for high-quality podcasts for you to enjoy right now. It's the best podcast app and works on Android, iPhone, and the web. Signup to sync subscriptions across devices.