You Can’t Avoid Pressure—But You Can Get Better at Handling It

The Problem with ‘Toughness’

People love to talk about mental toughness. But what if toughness isn’t the answer?

For years, I thought handling pressure was about powering through—grit your teeth, push ahead, don’t let it show. Sometimes, that works. But I’ve also had moments where pressure completely threw me off. Situations I look back on and think, I should have handled that differently.

The reality? I’m better at teaching this than I am at practising it. But like any skill, the more I learn, adjust, and test myself, the better I get.

Pressure isn’t going anywhere. So the real question isn’t if you’ll face it—it’s how well you’ll handle it when it comes.

The Skills That Matter Most by 2030

At the Talent Summit last week, Ravin Jesuthasan shared research on the fastest-growing skills for the next decade.

Everyone expects AI and cybersecurity to dominate these lists—but what stood out were the skills that weren’t about technology at all:

1️⃣ AI and Big Data
2️⃣ Networks and Cybersecurity
3️⃣ Technological Literacy
4️⃣ Creative Thinking
5️⃣ Resilience, Flexibility, and Agility
6️⃣ Curiosity and Lifelong Learning
7️⃣ Leadership and Social Influence
8️⃣ Talent Management
9️⃣ Analytical Thinking
🔟 Environmental Stewardship

No surprise that AI is up there. But the fact that handling uncertainty, staying adaptable, and continuously learning ranks just as highly? That says a lot.

It matches what I see in leadership—those who stay sharp under pressure and make adjustments when things go sideways always outperform those who simply try to "tough it out."

Handling Pressure Isn’t About Being Tough—It’s About Being Smart

If toughness alone isn’t the answer, what is?

The best performers—whether in business, sport, or leadership—aren’t the ones who ignore stress. They’re the ones who train their response to it.

Here’s what actually works:

🔥 Anticipate Stress—Don’t Just React to It

It’s easier to deal with pressure when you see it coming.

• Psychologist Dr. Martin Seligman, who pioneered Positive Psychology, found that those who plan for challenges ahead of time are far more effective at managing stress.

• In high-stakes environments, top-performing teams use pre-mortem analysis—thinking ahead to what could go wrong so they aren’t caught off guard.

🔥 Reframe Setbacks as Data, Not Failure

I’ve had moments where pressure got the better of me. But the difference between those who thrive under pressure and those who struggle? They don’t see setbacks as personal failures—they treat them as data.

• Carol Dweck’s research on Growth Mindset shows that people who view setbacks as part of the process are far more successful in the long run.

• A London Business School study found that leaders who acknowledge mistakes and extract lessons from them build stronger, more adaptable teams.

🔥 Train Recovery as Much as Performance

Handling pressure isn’t just about the big moments—it’s about what happens between them.

• Dr. Anders Ericsson, who coined the term "deliberate practice", found that elite performers rest just as intentionally as they train—they know that recovery is part of performance.

• A McKinsey & Company study on executive decision-making found that leaders who protect time to step back and reset make significantly better decisions under stress.

🔥 Stay Adaptable, Not Just Persistent

I used to believe that sticking to a plan was the mark of strong leadership. But the best leaders aren’t the ones who double down—they’re the ones who pivot when needed.

• Harvard Business Review found that adaptability is one of the strongest predictors of leadership success, particularly in unpredictable industries.

• The ability to adjust under pressure is often the difference between those who grow and those who get stuck.

Why This Matters for Leaders & Organisations

If you lead a team, their ability to manage pressure directly impacts performance, decision-making, and engagement.

📌 Do your people freeze under stress?
📌 Are they afraid to fail?
📌 Is pressure leading to burnout and bad decisions?

A Deloitte study found that businesses that train employees to handle stress strategically see 30% better performance in high-pressure situations.

I’ve seen this play out first-hand. When pressure isn't managed well, it filters down through the team, impacting decision-making, motivation, and even company culture.

The leaders who navigate stress without letting it take over don’t just improve their own performance—they set the tone for their entire organisation.

So, How Do You Build It?

I work with leaders and teams to turn pressure into a competitive advantage—through coaching, leadership workshops, and practical strategies for handling high-stakes environments.

📩 Pressure is a constant—but getting better at handling it is a choice.

What’s one high-pressure situation that caught you off guard? Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear how you handled it.

References & Further Reading

For those interested in diving deeper into the research behind these insights, here are the key sources:

📖 Dr. Martin Seligman – Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life (1998)
📖 Carol Dweck – Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (2006)
📖 Dr. Anders Ericsson – Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise (2016)
📖 Harvard Business Review – Adaptability: The New Competitive Advantage (2011)
📖 McKinsey & Company – The Resilience Imperative: Leadership Strategies for Uncertain Times (2021)
📖 London Business School – The Power of Learning from Failure in Leadership (2022)
📖 Deloitte Insights – Thriving Under Pressure: Organisational Resilience in High-Stakes Environments (2020)