🏄🏼‍♂️ Scott Leese's Linkedin Analytics

Let's cut the BS about success right now. While everyone's posting hustle-porn about prospecting gimmicks, 4am routines and 75 hard style workouts, actual high performers are mastering something nobody brags about: Not losing their minds under pressure. Here's some real truth for you: Your ability to stay relaxed while everything burns around us is a better success predictor than your productivity app or overpriced data provider. I've watched "high-potential" professionals flame out because they never figured out how to keep cool when responsibility piles up. They mistake stress for importance. Meanwhile, the people reaching the top? They're suspiciously calm during crises. We glorify stress in corporate culture. "I'm sooooo busy" is practically a status symbol. We wear exhaustion like a badge while popping xanax. What a strange and unhealthy flex. Early in my career, I thought looking stressed signaled dedication. I'd rush around, sigh in meetings, and humble-brag about minimal sleep. Our stress isn't impressive – it's making everyone anxious. Either learn to handle pressure or step aside. Stop giving everyone around you an ulcer just so you don't get one yourself. The executives running nine-figure businesses aren't grinding themselves to dust. They've mastered the strategic underreaction. When everyone's hair is on fire, they're asking calm questions that cut through chaos. One CEO I know schedules "panic appointments" – 15 minutes to privately freak out before decisions. Genius stuff. Another responds to crises with: "Interesting challenge. I'll think about this and respond tomorrow." Literally refuses to address is right then and there without taking time to calm down and consider everything. Impressive. What if success isn't about pushing harder but developing an almost offensive level of composure when everyone expects panic? Consider: What if stress makes you dumber when you need to be smarter? What if competitors aren't outworking you but out-relaxing you? What if your busyness is just productivity theater for losers? Next time you're tempted to humblebrag about stress, remember: nobody awards medals for cortisol levels. Develop the unsettling ability to relax deeper as challenges mount higher. Your stressed colleagues might question your commitment, but while they burn out, you'll make the decisions everyone wishes they'd thought of. Be suspiciously calm in a room full of panicked colleagues. It's not just healthier; it's your competitive edge.