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The Intelligence of Tears: What Laying Off 50 Staff Over Zoom Taught Me About Flow in Leadership
- Joan Lim
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
At Vis Magna Academy, we witness profound transformations daily when leaders discover their authentic, energetic blueprint. Here's Co-Founder Joan's journey in her own words: a story that illustrates why understanding Human Design can change how we navigate even the most difficult moments in leadership.
When Leadership Meets Its Most Human Moment
It was during the pandemic. I was consulting for a firm with teams across Southeast Asia, China, and the UK. Borders were closed. Travel was restricted. And I was tasked with laying off more than 50 people remotely - people I had worked with, mentored, and grown alongside.
I sat behind my screen, delivering a message crafted by management. I had to remain composed. But as each Zoom call began, something else emerged. Pixelated tears. Quivering voices. People are asking how they would feed their families. Why this decision came after years of loyalty. I remember one voice breaking:
“Why now? I have a family to feed.”
I felt my heart shatter. But I stayed steady - because that’s what I thought leadership required. What I’ve come to understand since… is that I was wrong.
Those tears weren’t signs of weakness.
They were wisdom in motion.
What Most Leaders Overlook About Emotional Release in the Workplace
In most workplaces, tears are treated as something to hide. Leaders often respond by changing the subject, speeding up the conversation, or suggesting the person "stay strong” or “keep it together." But tears are not a loss of control. They are a physiological reset, a way for the body to process and integrate change.
Through that experience, I began to see that emotional release holds valuable information for leaders if we know how to read it. Here's what most leaders don't understand about emotional release in the workplace, and how Human Design reframed my view.
Tears are Recalibration, Not Collapse
Tears are the body's built-in mechanism for releasing tension and returning to balance. When someone cries, their nervous system is shifting out of stress mode and into a state where they can think more clearly.
Fighting this process prolongs stress. Allowing it accelerates clarity. A leader who can hold space for this recalibration creates conditions for faster emotional recovery and better decision-making.
Emotional Authority is Real Intelligence
In Human Design, around half the population has Emotional Authority. These individuals are not wired to make immediate decisions in moments of emotional intensity.
They need to ride the full wave of their feelings before arriving at clarity. Suppressing this process does not make them more rational; it undermines their decision quality. An emotional employee is often a deep processor, not a liability.
Somatic Wisdom Beats Spreadsheet Analysis
During those Zoom calls, I realized that people's physical and emotional responses revealed how they navigated life transitions. Those who cried immediately were processing in real time, letting the reality land so they could move forward.
Those who remained stoic might have been in a freeze state or had already accepted the change. These reactions provided insights that no performance report or spreadsheet could capture.
The Human Design Lens
Those with a defined Solar Plexus experience natural cycles of emotional build-up and release. Those with an open Solar Plexus often absorb and amplify the emotions of others. Understanding these differences helps leaders respond with empathy and accuracy rather than judgment.
From Corporate Conditioning to Energetic Awareness
That day showed me that composure is not the same as leadership. Leadership is about holding space for humanity. It is recognizing that emotional release can be part of healthy decision-making.
For years, I had operated under the belief that emotions were liabilities in business. Success meant control. Wake up early, be efficient, and perfect planning prevents problems. Never let them see you sweat, and certainly never let them see you cry.
However, this experience revealed something deeper. When I started honoring emotional intelligence instead of suppressing it, everything in my business shifted. I stopped forcing partnerships that looked good on paper but felt wrong energetically. I started trusting my gut responses to potential collaborators.
Water as a Workplace Metaphor
Humans are water beings (we can be made up of up to 80% water after all!). Water adapts, reflects, and heals. Teams, like water, take the shape of the culture they are in. Cultures that demand emotional suppression may achieve compliance, but cultures that value emotional integrity foster connection and clarity.
When you honor the water element in your workplace, you don't get more drama. You get more truth. And truth is the foundation of every sustainable business decision.
The Business Case for Emotional Hygiene
When integrating emotional intelligence into corporate teams, the shift is cultural. Beyond numbers, the shift is cultural. Teams become more open with each other. Conflicts are addressed earlier. People feel seen and understood, leading to higher engagement and lower turnover.
Practical Shifts Leaders Can Make
At Vis Magna Academy, we help leaders:
Recognize emotional processing as part of performance
Create safe spaces for authentic expression
Understand their team's energetic design
Hold space for emotions without rushing to fix
Pause before problem-solving and allow emotions to settle
Know your team's decision-making authority and give space when needed
Understand how open energy centers can amplify group emotions
Redefine professionalism to include emotional integrity
Build rituals for reflection and release into team culture
From Transactional to Transformational Leadership
The future of leadership is about integrating emotional awareness with clarity and respect for human design. Leaders who understand this create cultures that are resilient, innovative, and deeply human.
When I think back to that day on Zoom, I no longer see tears as something to move past. I see them as moments of truth that could have deepened trust, fostered connection, and even inspired a new way of leading.
If I could go back to those Zoom calls, I would have honored their tears instead of rushing past them. I would have created space for the grief and fear and uncertainty instead of trying to manage through it quickly.
Because what I know now is that the greatest force of all is love. And love includes honoring the full spectrum of human experience, including the tears that signal transformation is happening.
The Invitation
If you want to create a workplace culture where emotional integrity drives clarity and performance, our Foundation programs at Vis Magna Academy are designed for you.
When you honor the intelligence of tears, you deepen your leadership. You also align your team with the natural flow of human energy, creating a workplace where clarity, compassion, and performance can coexist.
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