Pause in the Media & Contact

FINANCIAL TIMES - Pause was selected for the Financial Times’ “What else to read this month,” which described it as a practical guide for identifying priorities and focusing on what matters. “Can’t focus on what matters, or even decide what the priority should be? This zippy read offers practical strategies for slowing down and identifying goals.”

Inc. - What if your team’s productivity problem isn’t the people, but the boss? In Here’s How Bad Bosses Destroy Productivity, According to Research at 150 Companies, Minda Zetlin draws on the research behind Pause to reveal what the most effective leaders do differently.

Forbes - “Perhaps that’s the larger lesson from Vanderhoven’s research. Leadership isn’t ultimately about moving faster than everyone else. It’s about creating an environment where everyone else can perform at their highest level.” Rodger Dean Duncan explores the research behind Pause in Why Great Leaders Tap the Brakes, Not the Gas.

Big Think - The Ancient Principle That Explains Why You Need to Slow Down to Win. An excerpt from Pause exploring how Mark Allen went from an injury-prone contender to an Ironman champion, and what he and the ancient principle of festina lente can teach us about why sometimes the key to moving faster is knowing when to slow down.

Inbound & Agile — AI can give your team more capacity. What you do with it matters. Drawing on the research behind Pause, Eric Pratum’s article Deep Work Is a Social Contract explores why protecting focus is a leadership responsibility.

Publishers Weekly - “Filled with useful tips and memorable case studies, this will bring relief to organizations feeling lost in a sea of diversions." In its review of Pause, Publishers Weekly highlights the book’s practical strategies for helping teams work effectively in distracting environments.

GQ Article - In The Habits to Embrace—and Ditch—in 2026, Shawn and Anne share a strategy from Pause for escaping “email hell” and protecting more time for the work that matters most.

Podcast Interviews

Leadership Matters. Shawn and bestselling author Liz Wiseman tackle real-world leadership challenges with practical ideas leaders can put to work.

The Learn-It-All Podcast with Damon Lembi. Explore insights from Learnit on developing stronger managers, higher-performing teams, and an AI-ready workforce.

The Lawyerist Podcast with Zack Glaser. Tune in for practical conversations about leadership, business, and building healthier, more successful law firms.

Pause: How to Lead Brilliant Work in a Busy World by Shawn Vanderhoven with Anne Vanderhoven is a research-backed leadership book about creating the conditions where teams can focus and do their best work. Based on original research with leaders at more than 150 companies, including Amazon, Google, and LinkedIn, Pause offers 12 practical strategies for helping teams focus on what matters most. A USA Today bestseller, Pause is published in English by Simon Acumen, an imprint of Simon & Schuster US, and Torva, an imprint of Penguin Random House UK.