How to Go from Being Stressed and Overwhelmed to Confident Leader

3 simple steps that will help you move from stuck, stressed and defeated, to BEING a confident leader.

Business owners, CEOs and managing directors, just like everyone else, can sometimes get stuck on how things appear to be.

Stress and overwhelm can be blinding, and falsely lead you to believe things are worse than they really are…

And instead of being able to breathe, take a step back and see the bigger picture you end up feeling stuck and overpowered and that can affect how you are BEING as a leader.

Maybe you’re tired of having to pick up the pieces when things don’t go to plan, or losing sleep about making life changing decisions that will affect the future of your business…

Or sick of having to remind that one employee who keeps forgetting to do the accounts, and fretting about offending the business partner you respect who hasn’t delivered on the quality they promised.

You know what I mean, those little stressors that begin to stack up during the day, each one adding another notch on your anxiety meter pushing your patience and limits into the red zone.

It’s really easy to get overwhelmed and stressed as a leader, and you aren’t alone in this at all because you’re a human being… not a machine.

You might like to think that you’re tough and always 100% efficient and that being a strong leader means keeping your game face on, even when the pressure is pushing you to breaking point.

But when your emotions start getting the better of you, that’s when mistakes are made and you cease to become an effective leader.

In just a moment, I’ll share 3 essential steps you can take when that pressure starts building up and you feel on the verge of overwhelm.

But first I’d like to talk about how we get so stressed as leaders in the first place.

As the business leader you have a lot of responsibilities.

From managing and directing your team to making sure the business continues to grow while keeping standards high and giving excellent value to your customers.

Challenges on a daily basis are bound to crop up that cause stress and uncertainty which can affect your abilities to lead with confidence.

When things get on top of you, that’s when those nagging doubts kick in…and you start to doubt yourself and your capabilities.

These are 6 typical questions every leader asks themselves when they are stressed.

Do any of them sound familiar to you?

Can I ask for what I want without people hating me?
Have I hired the right team?
Do I have the right processes, systems and tools?
The team doesn’t get it! I always wind up having to do it myself!
I can’t believe this is happening again
This isn’t good enough. Is it because I’m not good enough, or they’re not good enough?

The dialogue has as much variety as humans on the planet. When we listen, argue or follow this internal chatter, our results will always remain limited to what we think, say or do.

And if we achieve what we want, there will be a critical voice, so we compromise on peace of mind.

This is where employees get fired or steal, customers get disappointed, mistakes happen and average results are achieved.

The short and long-term consequences of ineffective leadership because of stress and overwhelm is that your business stays small, and you’ll be more susceptible to burnout.

Everyone doubts, but what’s important is that there is something you can do when the fear and doubt creeps in.

Here are three simple steps that will help you move from stuck, stressed and overwhelmed, to being a powerful leader.

Step 1: Empower yourself by developing awareness about what’s blocking you from BEING YOUR BEST

When stressful situations arise, instead of letting those fearful questions rule your thinking, stop, take a breath and become interested in how you’re BEING, rather than focussing on what you’re DOING.

For instance, consider whether you’re being:

Reactionary
Harsh to others
Dismissive
Detached and uncommunicative

When you should really be being:

Responsible
Accountable
Loving
Contributing

Everything you do, contributes to your BEING. How you interact and connect with others and how you perceive success and personal growth.

So if you’re coming from a place of doubt and fear, that transmits outwards to those around you including your team, business partners and loved ones.

Being self-aware is a skill that can take a little time to develop, but once you do you are truly on your way to being your absolute BEST.

Undertaking a Being Profile® Assessment will increase your awareness about how becoming an effective leader is the first step.

Step 2: Transform your way of being, so effective results show up

Once you become aware of how you are BEING under pressure you can adjust your behaviour to approach challenges in a more manageable way before the anxiety meter reaches that tipping point.

Because what you might not realise is that although you are the one carrying the burdens of stress on your shoulders, you’re inadvertently projecting out your stress and accidentally causing distress for your team as well.

What you say and do in challenging situations has a huge impact on your team’s own emotional wellbeing and in turn can affect vital decision making and approaches to problem solving.

Your team looks to you for guidance during times of stress not only for instructions but also to give them reasons to stay positive and optimistic.

Internalising and processing some of your doubts and fears can help you BE YOUR BEST especially when facing overwhelm and stress.

Step 3: Get support from a coach

According to the International Coaching Federation (ICF), 80% of coachees report an increase in confidence under their guidance.

Everything I learned in my 20+ years of experience can be attributed to a combination of learning from life defining moments and the support I’ve gotten from training with coaches like Tony Robbins, Ben Harvey, Engenesis creator Ashkan Tashvir and Mastercoach John Smallwood.

As a business leader people look to you for support, but when you need someone to bring you back to earth and remind you of the great things you’re capable of…who would you turn to?

Having a coach who can help you recognise how others see you and transform what’s in the way of your breakthrough is a massive support that can really help relieve some of the stress of being a leader.

They’re there for you when you need them and they know what they’re talking about.

Because for sure, they will have been exactly where you are, feeling the same pressure and letting doubts get the best of them at some point in their professional life.

I know that because I’ve been there myself…stressed, exhausted and overwhelmed.

But be reassured there IS a life changing moment where you can truly say “I’m BEING the BEST I can” and I’m here right now to help you get there.

As a coach who embraces the Ontological approach, I focus exactly on people’s way of BEING.

Once your ways of BEING shift, your behaviour, habits and results follow and the extraordinary becomes suddenly possible.

I want to be there for you when stress rears its ugly head, to help you stay calm and transform your way of BEING so you can be the powerful leader you deserve to BE.

We can begin right now by starting a conversation.

Let’s connect and have a chat to talk about how you can go from being stressed and overwhelmed to becoming a super powerful leader.

Click the link to book a 1:1 Strategy Call with me to find out what is possible for you and receive a clarity map based on your specific goals, hopes and dreams. Or join the 60 min Group Masterclass to discover what is possible for you and your business here.

Yes! I want to BECOME MY BEST