How can you stay calm under pressure as a leader?

As a born leader I am a very calm person, very little make me jump out of my skin.. in fact, it takes a lot for me to be able to get to a point where I meet my stressor at their level. Like how I don’t like meetings without agendas, I don’t just express my response without taking time to think about it. It may mean that I have to ask for time to think about what’s next, as I need to consider all possible consequences, within reasonable time, keeping in mind that we don’t lose, we either win or learn.

One needs to understand what makes you feel stressed. Ideally you should remain calm. When you feel stressed get up and take a walk. Return after a few minutes. You can chat to a colleague.

Actually Speaking when you are in stress, your rarional thinking takes a backseat. In order to think wisely, one need to stay calm, try to focus on the issue and try to analyse what could be the root cause. To that one need to take a step back, detach oneself from the current situation only then one can see the whole sitation without any pressure to resolve it. In some cases immediate action are needed but more then that, correct step is more critical then actual decision om resolving the issue.

When you find yourself swamped with work, urgent tasks, and the daily hustle, it can be challenging to evaluate whether you're experiencing excessive stress. To maintain productivity, it's essential to prioritize your mental and physical well-being. However, in terms of work, it's equally crucial to stay focused on the dedicated strategic roadmap and outcomes and have the confidence to trust yourself and make adjustments where needed. Don't hesitate to seek assistance from your team and delegate tasks when necessary. This approach will help foster a more reliable work environment.

In my perspective, maintaining composure is paramount for a great leader, despite it being a challenging quality to acquire. Like any skill, it requires deliberate practice. Leaders should proactively cultivate calmness, as it's fundamental to effective leadership. The ability to discern what's within their control is crucial. Taking a moment to breathe deeply and assess situations is immensely valuable. Remember that your calm demeanor as a leader sets an example for your team, who rely on you for guidance and motivation. If necessary, fake it until it becomes an integral part of your leadership identity.

4-4-4-4 Box Breathing, as described, is so effective at controlling pulse rate that even the US Navy SEALS reportedly use this technique to keep calm under high pressure situations.

Put things in perspective. Ask yourself will this matter in a week, a month, a year from now? Often times we find that we are overstressing about the situation at hand.

One approach I've found effective is practicing mindfulness and self-awareness. By regularly grounding myself and acknowledging my emotions without judgment, I can address them more effectively.

Take a bigger picture view I found that detaching yourself from the situation momentarily and taking a BIG picture view of the situation - its dependencies and effects makes it easier to make the correct decision considering all factors and in a calmer mind.

The ability to focus on the present moment when a crisis occurs is easier said than done. One of the best ways to deal with pressure is to train yourself before it happens: preparation for when life doesn't go according to plan. How do you do this? By practicing mindfulness techniques - breathwork, as mentioned above, and meditation - as well as immersing yourself in uncomfortable situations - deliberate cold water exposure, strength training, and fasting (to name a few). While these measures may seem extreme, over time, these techniques become habits and when compounded, train your central nervous system to being ready when in stressful situations to stay calm under pressure when the proverbial "sh*t hits the fan" as the saying goes.

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle coins the concept in his book. This refers to staying present and knowing that the very moment you’re in is the best time ever, you’re not late or ahead, but right where you need to be.

Staying calm under pressure as a leader is essential for effective leadership. Preparation, stress management techniques, and delegation help maintain composure. Stay organized, maintain perspective, and engage in positive self-talk. Break complex tasks into smaller steps and seek support and advice. Effective communication, time management, and learning from past experiences are crucial. A healthy lifestyle, resilience, and the use of appropriate humor can also aid in staying calm. Consider professional help if stress consistently impacts your leadership. This skill is developed over time, setting a positive example for your team.

What's crucially important when something goes sideways is to accept the situation. The most destructive thing you can do in such case is to start some kind of "why this happened" blame game. After the high stress period is over you should take the time with your team to discuss and understand what lead to the specific situation and figure out things that you can improve to avoid similar situations/incidents. You should have a blameless post-mortem where you aim to identify things you can improve with your processes and not find scapegoats to condemn. This is the only way you can continuously improve!

In a situation where there is a large scale incident where multiple people need to coordinate and perform different tasks in parallel what works really well is to create a physical or virtual "war room" where all the people involved are gathered together and can closely collaborate and immediately communicate. Moreover in tough situations it's really productive to have even more than one people working on the same task since they can bounce ideas on each other and figure out a solution much faster.

Take the time to ask questions and seek to understand. Don't make assumptions about what's going on. Give your team the benefit of the doubt versus jumping to conclusions. Communicate with empathy, and listen what your clients and team members have to say. Reflect back what you've heard to ensure you have understood correctly.

Moreover keep the communication channel flowing! In the case of an incident that lasts few hours you should give updates to the necessary stakeholders either when there is a significant event happening or when you had radio silence for quite some time e.g. 1h Also, never forget to communicate the resolution of a situation to the stakeholders! Sometimes when we solve a critical issue we might be so relieved and directly jump into celebrating the resolution of the situation without telling the stakeholders, whom in the meantime believe the incident is still ongoing!

Refocus thoughts and energy on the achievements and small wins, versus focusing on what isn't done yet or what went wrong. I also help my clients shift from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset. This helps us recognize that there are plenty of resources for everyone and plenty of time to get things done, which relieves stress and shifts the focus into long-term problem solving (vs. short-term coping).

First thing we need to feel in ourselves that "I am the Leader". Stress, pressure, diversified work load is common for a leader. Then everything will be within our controll. Thereafter we should prioritise the tasks keep calm in every situation because I am a leader.

Mindfulness practices like deep breathing & meditation activate the prefrontal cortex, enhance emotional regulation, clear thinking in stressful situations. Leaders must leverage self-awareness. By recognizing their emotional triggers, leaders can proactively employ coping mechanisms. Leaders should reframe uneasy situations as opportunities for growth & seeking social support. Perspective-taking & seeing challenges from multiple angles maintain a sense of calm & help make more nuanced decisions. Cultivating a growth mindset by view setbacks as learning experiences help leaders bear pressure & approach challenges with resilience. A calm leader inspires their team to success.

The first thing when under stress is to pause and process the current situation. The second would be to reflect on what has happened and then respond with a proper structure and a plan. Planning helps you define a holistic view of the next course of steps to be taken to bring the situation under control. The third step is to clearly define the controllable and uncontrollable ones. The 4th step is to communicate with all the stakeholders get their buy-in and have a feedback loop opened for the same. This framework helps anyone in any position.

1/ Set aside quiet moments during your day, preferably in the morning or before a significant event, to visualize challenging situations you might encounter. See yourself handling them with ease, calmness, and efficiency. 2/ Always envision a positive outcome in your scenarios. See the challenges, but also see yourself overcoming them. This not only prepares you for the challenge but instills a sense of confidence. 3/ It is important to take breaks throughout the day, especially when you are feeling stressed. Get up and move around, or take a few minutes to relax and clear your head. This will help you to recharge and come back to your work refreshed.

In high-pressure situations, effective communication is paramount. Keeping the lines of communication open with your team, clients, or stakeholders helps manage expectations and avoid misunderstandings. Additionally, I believe in embracing a growth mindset, viewing challenges as opportunities for growth and learning. This perspective can make it easier to stay calm and focused on solutions rather than problems.