Paradise Madness

I saw it this summer on a T-shirt in Bali. Paradise madness.

And I thought: yes, that’s exactly it.

The paradise-like beauty of Bali.

The warm, generous people.

The food that tastes like a hug for your soul.

But also: the traffic that spikes your heart rate.

The open drains.

The chaos everywhere you look.

Two extremes. Completely intertwined.

Now that September is here, I feel that same tension in my own life.

The vacation still lingering in my body, but my calendar already packed with meetings, deadlines, KPIs.

Structure. Safety. Order.

And yet… that steady craving for creativity, playfulness, lightness.

It’s exactly that tension that makes leadership interesting.

A healthy ecosystem thrives on balance.

Too much chaos and we lose our way.

Too much order and we slowly suffocate in predictability.

The art is to embrace both.To let order and chaos live in the same system.To weave paradise madness into your work and your life.

Here are five ways to do that this month:

1. Make space for improvisation

Block time that isn’t tightly defined. An open hour with your team to brainstorm. A walk with no agenda. Chaos needs space to spark creativity.

2. Treasure your routines

Routine isn’t the enemy. It’s the foundation where creativity flows. Start your day with a ritual, a check-in with yourself or your team. Predictability brings calm and focus.

3. Celebrate the unexpected

Not everything needs to fit the plan. A joke in a serious meeting. An idea that comes out of nowhere. Embrace those moments. They’re often the spark for something new.

4. Build in quiet

In the middle of the noise, pause. Two minutes to breathe. A silent break after a meeting. Quiet is the bridge between order and chaos. That’s where clarity lives.

5. Dare to let go

Not everything has to be perfect or complete. Leave room for experiments and mistakes. Trust yourself and your team that something new can grow in the rough edges.

Paradise madness isn’t a luxury. It’s how you keep your ecosystem healthy.

It helps you stay human in your role as a leader and be a leader even when the storm hits.

So, how will you create your paradise madness this month?