Ashish KothariMake flourishing your competitive edge

The true source of power in a room isn't the loudest voice—it’s the most present.

1 May 2026 · 1 min

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Ashish Kothari talks with Sophie McLaren, a mindfulness trainer and Oxford teacher who started practicing at nine, about why the most powerful leader in a room is the one who is most present and relaxed, not the loudest or smartest.

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The most powerful leader in the room isn't always the smartest one. Often it's the one that is most present and relaxed. My guest today, Sophie McLaren, has spent her entire life helping leaders train the mind that makes that possible. Sophie is a mindfulness trainer, leadership consultant, and teacher at Oxford University. What makes her journey unique is that mindfulness isn't something she discovered later in life, but something she literally was Worn into. Sophie's been practicing and teaching mindfulness since she was 9 years old.