How to Stay Focused When Pressure Peaks: 5 Practical Tips

Most leaders I work with know the feeling. Something important is coming up, and the little voice starts. You're going to mess it up. Everyone will see through you. Your brain tangles, your hands go clammy, and suddenly you're catastrophising about an event that hasn't happened yet. It's part of human psychology, and it doesn't disappear with seniority. This inner critic is often a sign of imposter syndrome at work. Here are five things that actually help.

Purpose:

Refocus on why you're there and what value you've been asked to bring. If you're presenting, your purpose is to share key information clearly so people can act on it. If you're telling someone their role is being made redundant, your purpose is to deliver that news as humanely as possible while also playing your part in the financial health of the business. Holding that purpose in mind stops you drifting into catastrophising about the outcome. This is a key aspect of a strong leadership mindset.

Prepare and practise:

Before a big meeting or presentation, I walk through it in my head several times to lay out the order and flow. I jot notes and sketch out the key models I might need to share. The night before, I do a full run sheet and let my subconscious work on it overnight. Some of my clients recite their opening lines out loud in the car, or say their answers to likely questions before they walk in. This kind of mental preparation is essential for public speaking.

Thirty to forty-five minutes of focused practice is a better use of your time than sitting with a head full of worst-case scenarios. Take three deep breaths and work through the moments where you need to perform. Sprinters practise their starts hundreds of times. Do the same for whatever makes you nervous. This anxiety often stems from a fear of fraudulence.

Perspective:

Your audience are not waiting to catch you out. Most of them want or need to hear what you have to say, even when the news is difficult. There will always be the occasional grumpy face, but that face rarely means what you think it does.

I once delivered a presentation to someone who scowled and shook his head the entire way through. I was convinced I'd lost him. Afterwards he came up, shook my hand, and told me I'd shifted his thinking on a number of assumptions he'd held for years. He'd been shaking his head at himself. Had I let his expression throw me, I'd have been off my game for the rest of the room. When you're looking out at a group, fix your attention on the people who are with you. This helps combat self-doubt.

Pretend:

This is something I learned early in my public speaking career. Only you know how it should go. Everyone else only knows what they hear and see. If you make a mistake and your face and body don't announce it, most audiences won't notice. Where the mistake could cause a real problem (saying profits are up $1bn when you meant $1m, for example) you correct it. Otherwise, keep going as though it didn't happen, or calmly invite the room to "let's try that again" or "let's all pretend that didn't happen." People will roll with you.

The other version of this: picture the most confident version of yourself doing this, and act like that person. I did it for years until it stopped being a performance and became how I actually showed up. Building confidence is crucial for high achievers.

Process, not perfect:

When we replay an event in our heads, we freeze on the moments we wish had gone differently and skip straight past everything that worked. You don't need to hit every point word for word. What matters is that people leave with a clear understanding of the process you took them through. That can be as straightforward as:

• What you want to cover at the start of the meeting or presentation
• Sharing your points and listening to others to ensure the process is fulfilled
• Summarising what was covered and outlining the next steps.

It can help to have a simple map of your session to keep yourself on track. I have my clients design their presentations around a format I've used for years, one that relies on the process rather than the content. This helps counteract perfectionism and the Dunning-Kruger effect.

When it's over, ask yourself one question: did you achieve your purpose? If yes, sit with that. If not, loop back with a follow-up note or offer more information where it's needed.

Overcoming imposter syndrome is a journey that touches on mental health and cognitive distortion. Whether in the workplace or academia, the impostor phenomenon can lead to burnout and damage your self-esteem. If these feelings persist, seeking therapy can be highly beneficial. Remember that self-doubt is a common experience, but it shouldn't dictate your success.

Where to take this next

If your leaders freeze or lose the thread in the moments that count, that is friction in the system rather than a lack of effort. Take the Leadership Friction Finder and see where the drag actually sits. It takes a few minutes.

If you would rather keep reading, here are more articles on leadership mindset.