We’re all feeling more pressure these days – it just seems that there’s no avoiding it. But what can you do about it when it hits you hard enough to affect your performance? In today’s post, Pete shares his thoughts about how you can talk your way through it and reduce its impact on you.
And for more information about how we can help your team work effectively under pressure, check out our BE-it program.
At SagePresence, we work with a lot of business professionals under pressure. Often, that pressure shows up as the need to present confidently and effectively with a team—especially in high-stakes sales conversations, shortlist interviews, and leadership presentations. But presentation pressure is only one layer. A deeper, more complex pressure comes from competing interests pulling you in different directions.
It’s easy to make a decision when a single action satisfies everyone. Pressure spikes when one choice helps one party and harms another. That tension—trying to serve multiple interests at once—is at the heart of so many leadership communication challenges.
When you feel that kind of pressure, one of the best things you can do is slow down and get clarity on who wants what. Write it out or talk it through with a trusted colleague. The goal is to identify all the interested parties and understand their priorities—an essential leadership presence skill.
In the AEC world, this plays out constantly: construction teams balancing the expectations of architects, engineers, subcontractors, suppliers, and of course the project owner. Each group has its own goals, constraints, and concerns. Every decision affects them differently, which is why confident communication and business development awareness matter so much.
If you’re feeling stuck, don’t keep everything swirling in your head. Sit down and list out:
This simple exercise supports stronger executive presence and reduces internal pressure in two ways. First, you’re no longer carrying the entire mental load alone—putting it into writing makes it tangible. Second, you begin to see patterns, priorities, and possible compromises. You can identify who absolutely needs to be satisfied, who can be flexible, and what solutions might serve everyone well enough.
Your goal is to arrive at a plan you can confidently communicate to everyone involved—whether in a project meeting, a leadership update, or a client presentation. Confidence doesn’t come from perfection. It comes from having thought things through. You’ve considered impacts, weighed tradeoffs, and made a reasoned decision.
Remember: the pressure of competing interests is already heavy. You don’t need to increase it by forcing yourself to decide instantly, without reflection. Give yourself the time to think, process, and plan. When you do, you’ll communicate with clarity and confidence—helping your team, your clients, and your projects move forward.
Receive weekly posts of insight and inspiration.
No Comments yet!