"I work with CEOs, particularly visionary founders: men and women with game-changing dreams to create products or services that benefit humanity. Big dreams bring big battles: persuading investors, keeping teams steady under pressure, adapting fast as markets shift, facing risk and uncertainty head-on, and sustaining the resilience to weather the punishing ups and downs that test every leader. Performance psychology offers a robust, scientific foundation for developing leaders who thrive."
"One founder described pitching to investors as "harder than the Olympics." When nerves took over, his voice shook and his message lost impact. "Pitching is so stressful," he sighed. Founders often believe their challenges cause stress. But challenges aren't stressful; they're stress-provoking. "Pitching," I told him, "is just a task. It's your reaction to it that creates stress." Ancient Indian scriptures, the Vedas, teach that the root of stress is wanting things to be different."
"Stress isn't what happens to you, it's how you react. Your unproductive habits, not your challenges, may be holding you back. The foundation of true leadership is a calm body, a confident mind, and a focused spirit. Accept reality, grow from every challenge, and serve something larger than yourself. A CEO recently asked me to coach him. "I'm not a coach," I said, "I'm a performance psychologist. A coach will offer you advice and strategies. I will train you to thrive in any high-pressure situation.""
Performance psychology trains leaders to thrive in high-pressure situations by changing reactions rather than eliminating challenges. CEOs and visionary founders face investor persuasion, team stability under pressure, rapid market adaptation, and sustained resilience through volatile ups and downs. Stress arises from wanting reality to be different; attachment (Rāga) or aversion (Dveṣa) drives reactivity. Pitching and other tasks are neutral; reactions create stress that undermines voice, presence, and impact. The foundation of effective leadership is a calm body, a confident mind, and a focused spirit. Leaders can reduce stress by accepting reality, transforming unproductive habits, learning calm responses, and serving aims larger than themselves.
Read at Psychology Today
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