Calm in the chaos: Harnessing the power of pressure
Pressure is a funny thing isn’t it?
In my experience, it tends to bring out the best and the worst in us.
Here’s what this looks like for me:
The good side of pressure
One trait I seem to have inherited from my dad is the ability to remain calm amidst the chaos.
My dad built his own photography business from the ground up, and most of his work was with corporate clients who would fly in 5-6 people to his studio and micromanage every. single. little. thing. he was working on.
Most of his work was photos for billboards and magazines, and the clients would be losing their minds when the wrong type of lettuce for the burger arrived at the studio. I’d watch Dad stay calm and relaxed and try and troubleshoot different problems to keep the project moving forward.
Luckily, that trait seems to have passed along to me.
In fact, the crazier things seem to get, the calmer I find that I become. Sidenote: I’ve noticed this can be really infuriating for others who ask things like: “WHY AREN’T YOU FREAKING OUT RIGHT NOW.”
But I sure am grateful for that.
Startups are rife with days full of pressure:
Riding that rollercoaster 👆 is a great forcing function to learn to deal with pressure in a healthy way.
So, what’s one good trait in you that comes out under pressure?
The bad side of pressure…
I’ve noticed a few things about how I respond when I’m at my worst:
I used to be an insomniac. In my early 20s I would go long stretches of sleeping 2-3 hours a night and even today when I become really overwhelmed I notice that poor sleeping habits start to creep back in
I become overly sarcastic and/or cynical. In fact, someone once literally gave this feedback to my face:
“If you’re too sarcastic, people won’t take you seriously.”
I lose patience. I find that my temperament for dealing with bad news wanes the more stress I’m under. And I end up resorting to things like shooting the messenger.
How about you? What’s a bad trait for you that comes out under pressure?
Either way, ultimately it comes to… how do we deal with the pressure that we face?
Here’s some things I do:
When people know you’re “in it”, they’re watching you. They take their cues from you. So I remind myself in those moments to walk and talk slower (literally).
I strive for consistency. I really do believe it’s one of the most underrated leadership attributes. No matter what, turn up every day with the same level of consistency regardless of what’s happening.
I share the burden (where appropriate). We’re not meant to do life alone so I’ll regular soundboard and ideate with my exec team or others around me.
And I read, a LOT. I find that reading, especially biographies, remind me that other people have gone through the same (or worse) pressure than I’m facing and that it’s possible to come out the other side better than ever.
As startups, we’re under pressure all the time. Whether that’s the final EOQ deals we’re striving for, or working towards leveling up to meet expectations for customers.
Pressure is good.
But how we deal with it matters.
Thanks for reading,
Matt
p.s. If you’re a visual learner, this is all you need to know:
