May 1 - communicating under pressure
Here’s what I’ve learned from over 1,000 professionals about communicating under pressure:
➡️ The #1 skill for communicating under pressure isn’t more talking.
It’s pausing. 🫁
Taking a breath—literally—before responding.
Before reacting.
Before rushing to respond.
That pause is strategy.
It’s self-regulation.
It’s where all clarity begins. 🧠✨
Because when you’re building something nuanced and bold, rushing kills it.
🐢 Slowness is not weakness—it’s wisdom.
💡 Active listening builds trust.
💡 Clarity prevents chaos.
💡 Empathy makes your message land.
This isn’t just about how we lead others…
It’s about how we lead ourselves through uncertainty.
🧩 The Emotional Intelligence Behind the Pause
🫁 Self-Regulation:
Pausing is a core component of emotional intelligence.
Leaders who pause can manage their emotions, think critically, and make thoughtful decisions—even under stress.
👂 Active Listening:
When you pause, you’re not just waiting to talk—you’re truly listening to what’s said (and unsaid).
This builds trust and allows for deeper understanding.
🧭 Clarity:
A pause gives you time to organize your thoughts, preventing miscommunication and confusion.
❤️ Empathy:
With a pause, you can respond with care, making your message resonate and building better relationships.
🔑 Why Leaders Must Embrace the Pause
Real-world examples show that leaders who master the pause foster:
✅ Innovation
✅ Accountability
✅ Independent thinking
Pausing before responding helps you sense what’s really needed, invite reflection, and demonstrate confidence.
“Speak when you are angry, and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.”
— Ambrose Bierce
💭 Practical Takeaway
If you’re:
→ Overthinking
→ Feeling scattered
→ Tempted to abandon your own nuance...
Pause.
Breathe.
Sit in it. Honour it. Let it become.
That’s not delay. That’s leadership. 🚀
Where are you learning to lead through the pause?
👇 Share your story below.
April 24 - why did I snap at my colleague
🌟 "Why did I snap at my colleague over a tiny comment?" 🌟
Once upon a time, during a high-stakes project review, a teammate interrupted me mid-presentation. My face flushed, my heart raced—classic trigger reaction. Instead of addressing it in the moment, I spent the next hour replaying the interaction, frustrated with myself. Sound familiar?
Turns out, I’m not alone. 875 LinkedIn professionals shared how they manage emotional triggers at work:
🔍 44% practice self-awareness (like noticing their physical reactions)
🌱 22% identify the root cause (e.g., “Why does being interrupted make me feel dismissed?”)
🧘 18% use grounding techniques (deep breathing, counting objects in the room)
🔧 16% redirect to problem-solving (“How can I communicate my needs next time?”)
Here’s what I learned:
Triggers are clues. That day, I realized being interrupted tapped into an old wound of not being heard. Instead of judging myself, I started asking: “What’s this emotion trying to tell me?”
👉 Your turn: Take a moment this week and ask yourself "What's this emotion trying to tell me?"
Share your experience below! Let’s normalize these conversations and learn from each other. 💬
P.S. Grab my free 10 Scripts for Challenging Workplace Scenarios if you want practical tools to navigate triggers with confidence: https://lnkd.in/gErVcTpR
Scripts for Challenging Workplace
April 17 - How do you stay present under stress
🚨 LinkedIn Poll Results Breakdown: How Professionals Stay Present Under Stress 🚨
Out of 913 votes, here's how professionals manage stress in high-pressure environments:
✅ Focus on Immediate Tasks: 44.2%
✅ Take Short Reset Breaks: 34.7%
✅ Mindfulness Techniques: 15.0%
✅ Support from Colleagues: 6.0%
Let’s break it down our insights! 👇
1️⃣ Prioritizing Immediate Tasks – The Power of Focus
🧠 44.2% of respondents focus on immediate tasks to stay grounded under stress. This strategy helps maintain clarity and productivity by focusing on what’s in front of you. Leaders who prioritize tasks reduce overwhelm and boost performance.
Leadership Tip: Break overwhelming situations into smaller, actionable steps to regain control. 🔄
2️⃣ Taking Short Reset Breaks – Recharging Your Mind
💡 34.7% find taking short reset breaks most effective. These moments allow professionals to recharge, refresh, and return with renewed energy.
Leadership Tip: Encourage your team to take micro-breaks during high-pressure moments to enhance creativity and energy. ⚡️
3️⃣ Mindfulness Techniques – Staying Calm Amid Chaos
🧘♂️ 15% use mindfulness techniques like meditation and breathing exercises. These practices help reduce reactivity and improve decision-making under stress.
Leadership Tip: Build mindfulness into your routine to enhance emotional regulation and resilience. 🌱
4️⃣ Support from Colleagues – Building a Supportive Network
🤝 Though only 6% chose this option, it highlights the importance of social support. Building strong relationships creates a safety net when stress levels rise.
Leadership Tip: Foster a culture of psychological safety where team members feel empowered to seek support. 💬
Practical Emotional Intelligence Applications for Leaders
🔑Self-Regulation: Break down tasks and focus on what you can control.
⏰Self-Awareness: Monitor stress and schedule regular breaks for balance.
🌟Emotional Regulation: Incorporate mindfulness for calm decision-making.
🤗Social Awareness: Cultivate a supportive, open environment for collaboration.
Integrating emotional intelligence into these strategies empowers leaders to effectively manage stress, stay present, and thrive in high-pressure environments. 💼
What’s your go-to strategy for managing stress? Share in the comments or DM me! 👇
Apr 10 - what limits leadership thinking
🚨 POLL RESULTS: What Limits Leadership Thinking?
We asked our LinkedIn community what most often holds them back as leaders, and here’s what they said:
🔹 55% struggle with Organizational Legacy Systems
🔹 25% are constrained by Industry Conventional Wisdom
🔹 12% feel Time Pressure limits strategic thinking
🔹 7% cite Personal Comfort Zones as a barrier
What stands out? Over half of leaders feel stuck in outdated systems that prevent innovation.
1. Legacy Systems Are the Biggest Barrier
With over half of respondents citing organizational legacy systems as their primary limitation, it’s clear that outdated processes and structures are stifling innovation. Leaders may feel constrained by "the way things have always been done," preventing them from exploring fresh ideas or adapting to new challenges.
🙋🏻♀️ Takeaway: Breaking free from legacy systems requires intentional disruption, like Vincit’s "CEO for a Day" program, which shifts perspectives and challenges ingrained norms.
2. Industry Conventional Wisdom Holds Back Progress
A quarter of respondents pointed to industry norms as a major limitation. This suggests that many leaders feel boxed in by traditional thinking or "best practices" that may no longer be relevant in today’s rapidly changing environment.
🙋🏻♀️ Takeaway: Conscious leadership involves questioning these norms and fostering a culture of curiosity and experimentation.
3. Time Pressure Stifles Creativity
12.5% of leaders feel that the need for quick decisions limits their ability to think strategically or creatively. This highlights the tension between speed and thoughtful decision-making in high-pressure environments.
🙋🏻♀️ Takeaway: Leaders can combat this by carving out time for reflection and creating processes that allow for both agility and strategic thinking.
4. Personal Comfort Zones Are the Least Recognized Barrier
Interestingly, only 6.8% of respondents identified personal comfort zones as a limitation, suggesting that leaders may underestimate how their own habits or biases influence their thinking.
🙋🏻♀️ Takeaway: Self-awareness, a key emotional intelligence skill, is critical for identifying and addressing these blind spots.
Does it resonate? Share below or DM me!
March 31 - #1 value in professional relationships
📊 POLL RESULTS: The Secret Sauce of Workplace Relationships 🤝
We asked over 600 professionals what they value most in their work connections, and the results are eye-opening:
🔹 41% champion Diverse Perspectives
🔹 23% treasure Shared Experiences
🔹 18% seek Accountability Partnerships
🔹 18% prioritize Safe Spaces for Vulnerability
What strikes me most? The overwhelming desire for cognitive diversity 🧠
It's clear that professionals recognize the power of different viewpoints to drive innovation and problem-solving.
⏲️Wait a minute! Let's not overlook the importance of shared experiences and psychological safety. These elements create the trust and openness that allow diverse perspectives to truly flourish.
As leaders, how can we foster environments that embrace all these elements? Here are three quick tips:
🖊️Actively seek out and celebrate diverse ideas in meetings
🖊️Create opportunities for team bonding across departments
🖊️Establish clear channels for giving and receiving feedback
Which of these values resonates most with you? How do you cultivate them in your workplace? Share your thoughts below! 👇
March 24 - change management
⁉️ How did the LI community say they respond to change management and industry disruption?
🗝️ Key Findings:
Cautious but Adaptive (35.5%) emerged as the leading approach, suggesting professionals recognize the need for change while valuing thoughtful implementation
Proactive Transformation (26.5%) and Data-driven Decision Making (25.7%) received nearly identical support, showing a balanced split between forward-thinking innovation and evidence-based approaches
Only 12.2% prioritize stability, reflecting a significant shift from traditional change-resistant mindsets
🧠 What This Tells Us:
The results reveal that over 87% of professionals embrace some form of adaptation to disruption, whether cautiously, proactively, or through data analysis. This suggests a workforce that increasingly recognizes disruption as an opportunity rather than a threat.
The nearly equal distribution between proactive, cautious, and data-driven approaches indicates there's no one-size-fits-all solution to navigating change. Different contexts likely require different strategies.
😎 What's particularly interesting is how few respondents prioritize stability—perhaps reflecting a growing understanding that in today's environment, resistance to change may pose greater risks than adaptation.
What approach do you take in your specific role? Has your strategy evolved over time? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!