Things Leaders Do
Things Leaders Do is the go-to podcast for leaders who want real, actionable strategies—not just theory. Whether you're a new leader stepping into management or a seasoned executive refining your skills, host Colby Morris delivers practical tools and processes you can start using today to lead with confidence, clarity, and impact.
Each episode breaks down key leadership topics with humor, insight, and real-world application, covering:
✅ How to communicate effectively and build trust in your team
✅ The secrets to high-performance leadership and team culture
✅ Handling setbacks and leading under pressure
✅ How to be a people-first leader without losing accountability
✅ Mastering the balance between strategy, execution, and influence
No fluff. No vague concepts. Just tactical advice that helps you grow as a leader and drive real results in your business or organization.
Subscribe now and join thousands of leaders leveling up their skills. Because leadership isn’t about what you say—it’s about what you do.
🔑 Keywords: leadership, leadership development, new managers, executive coaching, team culture, business growth, personal development, management strategies, communication skills, success, accountability, productivity
Things Leaders Do
Leading Under Pressure: 3 Strategies to Thrive in High-Stakes Environments
Leading Under Pressure: 3 Powerful Strategies to Thrive in High-Stakes Environments
In today’s episode of the Things Leaders Do podcast, Colby Morris tackles a crucial topic for leaders navigating challenging, high-stakes environments. When everything is moving fast, and chaos feels like the only constant, how do you stay grounded and lead effectively?
Colby shares three unique, actionable strategies that empower leaders to remain clear-headed and make purposeful decisions under pressure. This episode goes beyond the basics, offering practical advice designed for those moments when there’s no time to waste.
What You’ll Learn:
- Proactive Adaptability: How to mentally prepare for the unexpected through “what-if” scenario planning.
- Leveraging Team Strengths in Real-Time: The power of tapping into each team member’s unique skills—and why training them to be problem solvers is key.
- Reflect Before Reacting: A three-step method to keep yourself intentional and avoid knee-jerk reactions in chaotic situations.
Actionable Takeaways: Gain tools you can apply today to become a more effective, resilient leader who thrives even when things get tough.
Key Highlights:
- Leading in High-Stakes Situations: Why preparation and adaptability are essential for confident leadership
- Building Problem Solvers: Empowering your team to take initiative when it matters most
- Clarity Under Pressure: How self-reflection can be your greatest tool to stay strategic
Connect with Colby on LinkedIn
Join Colby on LinkedIn for more insights and to share your leadership experiences! [Link in show notes]
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SEO Keywords: high-stakes leadership, leading under pressure, leadership podcast, team strengths, problem-solving team culture, proactive leadership, reflective decision-making, Colby Morris podcast
Welcome to Things Leaders Do, the podcast that uncovers the secrets of becoming an extraordinary leader. If you're a leader who's constantly seeking growth, inspiration and tangible ways to level up your leadership, then you've come to the right place. Remember, the world needs exceptional leaders, and that leader is you. Now here's your host, colby Morris is you.
Speaker 2:Now here's your host, colby Morris. Hello leaders, and welcome back to the TLD podcast. I'm Colby Morris and if you're new here, I'm a leader who's navigated just about every level you can imagine, from rolling up my sleeves as a frontline manager to guiding strategy in the executive suite. I've seen what leadership really looks like, from the trenches to the quote unquote top floor, and let me tell you, leading in chaos isn't a theory, it's a reality we face every day. I want to kick things off with a quick question. Have you ever had one of those days where it just feels like everything that could go wrong does Maybe your top performer calls in sick? Project deadline got moved up. My client decides that today is the day they need all hands on deck. Meanwhile, you're just trying to hold it all together with duct tape. Right, you're trying to make it all happen without letting your team know that internally, you're feeling that pressure too. You're putting on your best. I've got this face while wondering if you do in fact got this. Well, I've got news for you.
Speaker 2:Today's episode is all about how to handle those exact moments Not just surviving them, but actually leading well, with clarity and purpose. Here's the road trip. You don't have to be, you know, some unshakable superhero to lead effectively in chaos. You just need a few reliable strategies in your back pocket. So in this episode, we'll cover three unique approaches to staying grounded, focused, when the pressure is on. I'm not going to give you some kind of generic advice like stay calm or just breathe. No, these are specific, actionable tools that you can start applying. Today. We'll talk about proactive adaptability. That's how to train yourself to stay mentally flexible before chaos even hits. We'll also get into the power of leveraging your team's strengths, so you're not just carrying the load on your own. And finally, we're going to cover how to reflect before you react, so you're leading with intention, not just knee-jerk reactions. So really, whether you're a seasoned leader or maybe you're new to this high stakes game, get comfortable and let's dive in. Today's episode is packed with practical advice and, yes, hopefully, some humor to remind you that no one has it all together every second of the day. The goal isn't perfection. It's about being just a little better prepared for the unexpected. With that, let's get into it.
Speaker 2:One of the most effective ways to prepare for high-stakes chaos is something I call proactive adaptability. Now you're thinking, colby, I'm already adaptable. Well, let me tell you true adaptability in high stakes situations doesn't just happen. Okay, it's something we have to train for, we have to prepare for. And here's the truth High-stakes situations they expose how well we've prepared for the unexpected. Okay, if you want to lead with confidence, you can't just react to chaos. You have to be ready for it.
Speaker 2:Imagine this You're heading up a critical project and halfway through, your top performer tells you they're leaving the team. Top performer tells you they're leaving the team. Now you have a choice you can scramble to fill the gap in panic mode or lean into a plan you've already developed. Okay, if you've prepared, you'll already have thought about potential what ifs like this and you'll have a backup strategy ready. One of the best ways to develop proactive adaptability is through what-if scenarios and what-if scenario planning and once a month maybe, take 30 minutes and just sit down and think through potential high-stakes scenarios that could disrupt your team's work, team's work. Consider things like key team members leaving, maybe a sudden shift in project scope or unexpected budget cuts. Ask yourself what's the worst case scenario in each situation. How would I respond if this actually happened? What support would I need for my team? What support would I need for my team. This exercise may sound simple, but believe me, it is powerful. By regularly practicing this, you're training your mind to stay flexible, some mental dexterity. You're building that muscle that says I'm ready for whatever comes my way.
Speaker 2:A client of mine let's call him Steve. He's a senior manager at a tech company. Every month he picks one critical project and runs through a few what-if scenarios with his team. One time they even practiced what would happen if all their systems went down and wouldn't you know it? A few weeks later they experienced a real server failure. But because they had already practiced the scenario, the team knew exactly what to do. May have been an initial panic I'd say not really but they weren't scrambling, they just executed Leaders. This is what proactive adaptability looks like in action. When chaos hits, your brain doesn't go into shock, okay, it goes into action mode. That's what we're aiming for.
Speaker 2:All right, the second strategy I want to talk about is leveraging team strengths in real time. Here's the thing In a high stakes situation, your instinct may be to take control and handle everything yourself, and I get it. I think literally we've all been there. But when you take on everything, you're not only overwhelming yourself. You're also missing out on one of your greatest assets your team. Okay, when things go sideways, a truly effective leader doesn't go solo. They look at their team and they think who's best equipped to handle this. But here's the catch this strategy works best if you've been training your team to be problem solvers all along your team to be problem solvers all along Okay.
Speaker 2:If your team is used to waiting for direction instead of actively seeking solutions, they're probably going to freeze up when things get chaotic. As leaders, we sometimes default to giving instruction because it feels efficient in the short term anyway. But if you want your team to rise to the challenge in high-stakes situations, hey, they need to be used to thinking critically. They need to come up with solutions and handle responsibility. That doesn't mean you leave them to figure everything out on their own, but it does mean creating opportunities for them to stretch those problem-solving muscles on a regular basis. Here's your actionable strategy.
Speaker 2:Start small by asking your team members to solve lower stakes issues on their own. The next time someone comes to you with a question, instead of providing an immediate answer, try saying what do you think Love this one? Encourage them to brainstorm solutions and think through the problem. Encourage them to brainstorm solutions and think through the problem Over time. I'm telling you, that approach builds a culture where team members are more comfortable coming up with ideas. Okay, they'll make decisions and they'll step up when the high stakes challenge hit.
Speaker 2:Identify your team's unique strengths before a crisis hits. I'm talking about taking a moment to look at who on your team thrives under pressure. Who has a technical skill, who's calm and collected in tough times. Make it a point to build a simple like a strengths roster. Okay, that highlights each person's core skills and abilities. Then, when you have those high stake moments, use that roster to quickly assign the roles based on their strengths, not just their availability. Okay, here's how this plays out. Let's say you're making I'm sorry, you're managing a project and there's a sudden shift that requires immediate adjustments. Instead of taking it all on yourself, consult your strengths roster and think who's going to excel at managing the client relationship and maybe who's best suited for quick, creative problem solving. By assigning tasks based on strengths, you not only create a more efficient process, but you're also going to boost that team morale. Okay, because every person each person knows they're being trusted with something they're great at, knows they're being trusted with something they're great at.
Speaker 2:I want you to take a moment in high-stakes scenarios, to acknowledge the strengths you see in your team members. A simple statement like hey, I know you're great under pressure and that's why I'm counting on you here Wow, man, that can go a long way in building confidence and trust. When you've trained your team to be problem solvers and to trust their own judgment, they won't be waiting for directions. They'll be ready to jump in and act. When you leverage your team's strengths, you're not just keeping the ship afloat, you're maximizing your resources in the most efficient way possible. And, trust me, your team will notice, they'll feel valued, they'll feel equipped and they will rise to the challenge.
Speaker 2:Reacting In high stakes situations, it's tempting to just jump in and start fixing things. But here's the problem when you're reacting without reflecting, you're letting the situation control you. As leaders, our job is to stay in control of the situation, not the other way around. Right Reflection is powerful because it allows you to pause, look at the facts and consider what's really needed before you act. Okay, that doesn't mean wasting precious time or holding off on critical decisions. It means taking a moment to align your actions with your goals After each chaotic situation.
Speaker 2:Take just a few minutes for a brief three-step reflection. Identify your first instinct. What was your immediate gut reaction to the situation? Then assess the facts. Step back, look at the reality what are the actual facts? And then consider the ideal response. Facts and then consider the ideal response. Just give it a moment to think. How would you ideally handle this if you had to do it over again? This reflection helps you to recognize your own emotional triggers and it makes sure your next action is intentional, not just reaction or reactionary.
Speaker 2:I had a manager once who faced a tough situation. A project was way behind schedule and he was ready to lay into his team, if you know what I mean. But he paused, ran through a quick reflection and realized that maybe a different approach might yield some better results. So he decided to address the delay with curiosity instead of with his frustration. He asked questions. The result His team opened up about the challenges they were facing and when they did that, they were able to find a way to get back on track. Okay, that reflection saved a lot of relationships and probably a lot of time too.
Speaker 2:Okay, reflecting before reacting might feel counterintuitive when you're in the heat of the moment, but it's one of the most powerful tools you can use as a leader. It helps you stay grounded, helps you stay strategic and stay in control. Leaders, the next time you're in a high stakes situation, I want you to remember these three strategies. Let's go over them again. Embrace proactive adaptability Okay.
Speaker 2:Train for the unexpected, so when chaos hits, you're ready. Leverage team strengths in real time. Tap into your team's talents Let them shine when it counts. And reflect before reacting. Take a moment to align your actions with your goals, rather than letting the situation dictate your response. These are practical, powerful tools that can help you lead more effectively, even in those toughest situations. Okay, remember high stakes. Leadership isn't about staying calm by accident. It's about preparing yourself and preparing your team to respond with clarity, confidence, purpose. Listen. I want to. I want to thank you for joining me on this episode of things leaders do. I know you have a lot on your plate as a leader and I appreciate you taking the time to listen and invest in your growth, leading in high stakes situations.
Speaker 1:It isn't easy.
Speaker 2:No, it's not, and sometimes that takes real dedication and courage. So, if you're here, you're already on the right track. Okay, you're committed to becoming the kind of leader who can rise above the noise, who can make a difference, who can bring out the best in your team, can make a difference, who can bring out the best in your team. If you found today's episode helpful, listen, I'd be grateful if you'd subscribe, share this podcast with another leader who might need to hear this and let's connect on LinkedIn. I love to continue the conversation, hear your thoughts, learn more about the challenges you're facing in your own leadership journey. Okay, the link to connect with me is in the show notes and then just feel free to tell me. Hey, colby, you know, followed your podcast, wanted to connect with you here on LinkedIn. Love getting those messages and connecting and having those conversations. Well, again, thank you for being here and remember stay calm under pressure. Okay, make good decisions, and you know why because those are the things that leaders do thank you for listening to things leaders do.
Speaker 1:If you're looking for more tips on how to be a better leader, be sure to subscribe to the podcast and listen to next week's episode. Until next time, keep working on being a better leader by doing the things that leaders do.