In a Nutshell: Why are so many records broken at Olympics and world championships? Because top athletes thrive when the stakes are highest. Once we learn to recognize the patterns that pressure can take in our own lives and businesses, we too can learn to use pressure as a catalyst for peak performance.
Guest: Dane Jensen, the CEO of Third Factor. Dane is a highly rated speaker, a university instructor, a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review, and the author of a great new book called The Power of Pressure.
My Key Takeaways:
- Importance + Uncertainty + Volume = Pressure. Understanding Dane’s “Pressure Equation” is key to isolating its elements and dealing with them in turn.
- Separate “Peak Pressure” from “The Long Haul.” Dealing with immediate pressure requires different strategies than coping with the ongoing pressures of everyday life.
- Take one step forward. Making progress is the best way to use pressure rather than letting it cripple you.
Also Learn:
- What’s the difference between stress and pressure.
- Why asking yourself, “What’s not at stake” is a key way to relieve peak pressure.
- Why Dane believes time management and pressure management are two very different things that require different approaches.
Complementary podcast: It’s hard to imagine anyone who works under more pressure than the U.S. Navy SEALS. Retired Commander David Sears talked to me about how the SEALS taught him to work “smarter, not harder.” Listen/read here.
Resources Featured In This Episode
Dane Jensen
