4 Ways to Make Confident Decisions Under Pressure

0:00Hello, and welcome back to the Courageous Leaders podcast, brought to you by the Change Creators, where we strengthen leadership teams, creating environments where people and profits can grow together. I'm Joanna Howes, and as you should know by now, we don't just talk about the glossy success stories on this podcast. We talk about the real challenges of leadership. And today we're talking about something that every leader faces, no matter how experienced they are, and that's pressure. Because let's be honest, leadership is pressure. The pressure to make the right call, the pressure to meet expectations, the pressure to perform when it really matters.

0:35But here's the real challenge. How do you make decisions under pressure that align with your values rather than being driven by fear or emotion? Because when pressure builds, our brains instinctively look for the fastest way to escape discomfort. We make snap decisions just to relieve the weight. We default to people pleasing to avoid conflict. or we go into self-preservation mode, choosing what feels safest instead of what feels right. And I've done this many times. When we're under pressure, we have two ways of making decisions. Number one, emotion-led decisions. These are driven by fear, frustration or the need for immediate relief.

1:14These decisions are reactive. They feel good in the moment because they remove discomfort. But later, they leave us feeling out of integrity, second-guessing ourselves and sometimes making an even bigger mess to clean up. Number two, values-based decisions. These are made from a place of clarity and integrity, even when they're the harder choice, like speaking up even when it's uncomfortable, holding your boundaries even when people push you back and staying true to your leadership style even if others try and shut you down. The problem is when you're in a high pressure situation, your brain will always push for the emotion-led decision first.

1:53Why? Because it feels safer. Your brain is wired for survival and avoiding conflict feels like self-protection. People-pleasing feels like a way to stay in control and making the fastest decisions feels like it's just a relief from the pressure. But here's what I've learned. When you make leadership decisions from emotion instead of your values, you start to lose trust in yourself. and I learned this lesson the hard way. I remember a time when I made a fear-based decision instead of a courage-based one. I was overloaded, under pressure, it was building and it was building from different departments and I was building my own department from scratch and then felt the weight of everyone's expectations on me.

2:39Instead of pausing and making a decision that truly aligned with my values, I went with the easiest option, the one that caused the least resistance which resulting in someone losing their job as it was easier to do that than going through rounds and rounds of challenging conversation. The moment I did it I knew I'd compromised my own leadership and I hadn't done the right thing because when you go against your values you feel it. You start second guessing yourself, beating yourself up from shying away from the right thing to do was to have courage in that moment. You lose confidence in your own judgment and your abilities and you give actually give pressure more power over you.

3:19That was the moment I realized if I wanted to lead courageously I had to stop making decisions based on fear. Looking back I wish I'd had the tools to handle it differently. I'm grateful I know what I know now I'm going to share with you. So if you're in this position here's four strategies to handle pressure that I wish I'd known back then. The first one start to know what actually puts you under pressure. Before we talk about handling pressure, let's get clear on something. What actually makes you feel under pressure? Because it's different for everyone. For me, I feel the most pressure when there's too much uncertainty.

3:56When I don't have enough clarity on what's coming next, I can start to spin out. If I've overcommitted, when my workload is too high and I just can't see a way out and the overwhelm kicks in. Or if other people are impacted, when my decision isn't just about me, but it affects my team or my clients. That's when I really feel it, the tightening in my chest, the racing thoughts, the urge to just do something, anything to make it go away. So ask yourself, what situations put you under the most pressure? What happens in your body when you feel that pressure kind of build up inside? And what's your default reaction?

4:34Do you rush? Do you shut down? Do you spin out like I do and start overthinking? Because the more aware you are, the more control you have when it actually happens to you. Number two, reframe pressure as a privilege, not a threat. The most powerful shift you can make is to stop seeing pressure as something that causes stress and start seeing it as a sign that you're growing. Think about it. Pressure means you're being trusted with responsibility. You're operating at a higher level. You're stepping into something bigger than before. So this is like an opportunity. So instead of thinking I can't handle this or I have to get this perfect or you know this is just too much I can't cope, try shifting to I get to do this or this isn't an opportunity, not a burden.

5:25Or pressure means I'm playing at a higher level. When you see pressure this way, it doesn't mean it just disappears, but it does mean you step into it with strength instead of fear. The third one, use the pressure perspective trick. Pressure makes everything feel urgent. Like this decision will define everything. But here's a game-changing question to ask yourself. In five years, will this moment still feel this big? And most of the time, the answer is no. Pressure can warp our perception. It makes us feel like everything is a make or break. But when you zoom out, you realize that the most high-pressure moments aren't as big as they feel in the actual moment.

6:11So next time you feel overwhelmed, just pause for a minute and take a breath and ask yourself will this still matter in five years? What's the real impact of this decision? This then gives you instant clarity. Number four just slow down. Don't rush into a fear-based decision. One of the biggest mistakes leaders make under pressure is they rush decisions just to escape the discomfort but here's the truth speed doesn't equals strength. So instead of reacting immediately, again, this wonderful power of the pause, take a breath and ask yourself, if I wasn't under pressure, would I make the same choice?

6:57And nine times out of 10, that small pause saves you from a decision you'll regret later. And also trust your gut. When I've been put under pressure to buy something or hire a supplier, and I don't want to hurt their feelings by saying no and I've ended up saying yes, even though my gut is screaming no, this is the wrong decision, every time I've not listened to it, it hasn't worked out. So don't let the pressure of others force you into an emotionally led decision. So let's just quickly recap. The first tip is know what puts you under pressure. The more aware you are, the more control you have.

7:37The second, reframe pressure as a privilege. It means you're playing at a higher level. The third, use the pressure perspective trick. Zoom out. Most high pressure moments won't define you. And number four, slow down. Pause before you react so you don't make a fear-based decision. Because remember, pressure doesn't break you, it builds you. Pressure is part of leadership, but when you handle it well, it doesn't just make you stronger, it makes you wiser, sharper, and more courageous. If this episode has resonated with you, then please like and share it with someone who needs to hear it. And click the subscribe button as it really does help us reach more leaders who need help.

8:21So keep leading courageously, and I'll see you next time on the Courageous Leaders podcast.