Maintaining Composure Under Pressure

It takes one minute to damage a career you spent 30 years building. Because success isn’t about skill or intelligence. It’s about emotional regulation. Exercising restraint instead of: → Engaging in a heated debate with a client. → Exchanging a sharp word with a colleague. → Sending an angry email in the heat of the moment. The second you lose control, you’ve lost. Emotional regulation is the biggest marker of career success. The good news is it’s a muscle you can build. Here's how: 1. Know Your Triggers → Identify what sets you off. → Do you feel threatened when criticised? → Awareness is the first step to control. 2. Hit Pause → Before reacting, ask yourself: What are the consequences of my move? → Regret minimisation is critical. 3. Reframe the Experience → What else could this mean? → Maybe the person was having a bad day. → Chose an interpretation that serves you. 4. Create a Delay on Emails Sent → Set a 10-minute delay on all outgoing emails. → This in and of itself could save your career. 5. Breathe → When emotions rise, take three slow breaths. → It signals your nervous system to reset. → Simple, but powerful. 6. Speak With Emotional Intelligence → Once you’re ready to respond, choose your words carefully. → Ask: How can I create the right outcome in a calm way? Remember: → If you choose restraint, you win. → If you reframe, you grow. And every time you stay in control, you keep your power. How important do you think emotional regulation is for career success? ---- ☀️Follow Deena Priest for career, leadership and personal development insights.

Do you ever find yourself more stressed when thinking about an event than the event itself? That’s ‘anticipatory anxiety.’ It’s like your brain is stuck in a “what if” loop. Most of my clients describe this exact feeling before big presentations, tough conversations or even social events. I’ve been there myself… I used to spend days imagining everything that could go wrong, which only made me feel more overwhelmed and unprepared. Turns out, the usual advice of “Just think positive” doesn’t help at all. Research shows that focusing ONLY on perfect outcomes can actually drain your energy, and make you less likely to achieve it. When your brain skips over the challenges, you’re left less prepared and even more anxious if things don’t go as planned (again, I’ve been there!). What finally worked for me (and our clients) was flipping the script. Acknowledge the worst-case scenario and plan your response: – What’s the backup if the tech fails? – How will you recover if the conversation takes a turn? – What will you do if you forget your script? You’re not necessarily expecting the worst, but being ready for it. The result is a calmer, more confident mindset going into it, and that makes all the difference. P.S. Has someone ever told you to “just visualise success?” How did that work out for you?

This Teacher Changes 30 Lives Each Morning Here's Why This Works Every morning, a teacher greets her students one by one - not with rules, but with choice: A hug, A high-five, a nod, or quiet. A ritual so simple. Yet it tells 30 children: You are seen. You are safe. You belong. Here’s what this teaches us about leadership - and how to apply it at work: 1. Honor Autonomy (Self-Determination Theory) When people get to choose how they engage, they show up with more agency. Autonomy isn’t about letting go of structure - it’s about giving room to opt in. Try this: 🔷 Let people set their own work cadence - async, deep focus, or collaborative sprints 🔷 Ask: “What support looks best for you right now?” *** 2. Create Micro-Moments of Connection (Broaden-and-Build Theory) We don’t need hour-long one-on-ones to build trust. A genuine check-in. A name spoken with intention. That’s the glue. Try this: 🔷 Pause to celebrate effort, not just outcomes - a quick voice note, a public thank-you 🔷 Remember small details - a kid’s soccer game, a partner’s surgery - and follow up *** 3. Signal Safety in Small Ways (Polyvagal Theory) The nervous system responds before the intellect does. Safety is felt first. And safe leaders create brave spaces. Try this: 🔷 Ask: “Is now a good time?” before giving feedback or asking for decisions 🔷 Stay calm and present, especially when tensions rise - your tone sets the tone *** 4. Design for Anticipatory Joy (Affective Forecasting) The brain lights up for what’s coming next. The ritual at the door gave students a reason to show up smiling. Try this: 🔷 Drop a kind, unexpected message in the team chat - just because 🔷 Celebrate mundane milestones - 100 days in the role, 50th client call, 1st brave no *** 5. Anchor Culture in Meaningful Rituals (Harvard Research on Rituals) Rituals are memory-makers. They codify values in action - they say, this is who we are. Try this: 🔷 End each quarter with storytelling: what stretched us? what did we learn? 🔷 Welcome new hires not with logistics, but with a story of your team's "why" *** This teacher didn’t redesign the curriculum. She redesigned how people enter the day. You don’t need a big title to lead like that - Just the courage to meet people at the door. 💬 What’s one ritual you’ve seen shift the energy of a space - or want to create where you work? 🔁 Repost to inspire kind actions in the workplace. 🔔 Follow Bhavna Toor for more on conscious leadership.

How to lead under pressure? There are days as a leader when the pressure feels almost invisible to the outside world, but you and your team go right through it. I remember a time when we tweaked our strategy almost overnight for better, and everyone felt the weight. There were long days, sleepless nights, burden of course correcting and a lot more. Instead of pretending to have all the answers or launching into pep talks, I tried something else: I started every meeting by simply checking in, asking, "How’s everyone really doing today?" Sometimes those conversations lasted only a few minutes, but it created space for honesty and a sense of togetherness. Here’s what I’ve found genuinely helpful when guiding a team through pressure: 🔹Share context honestly; let people know what’s happening, not just what to do. 🔹Open the floor for input. Solutions often come from unexpected places. Prioritize and simplify. Focusing on three clear priorities for the week beats ambitious lists nobody can finish. 🔹Notice effort, not just results. It gives people a sense that their work matters, even when outcomes are beyond control, especially when results take longer than our desired timelines.  🔹Take shared chai and coffee breaks together, even if just for a stretch or sharing a story. It lightens the mood. No playbook works for every situation, but leading with empathy and practical steps always keeps the team steady and engaged. How do you keep your momentum steady when the stakes are high? #LeadershipLessons #TeamBuilding #Startups

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗲-𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲 In this video, Molly Carlson experiences fear while initially standing on the bridge, yet demonstrates remarkable composure as she moves through her pre-dive routine when doing the dive. This is a great example of how a pre-performance routine can help athletes manage pressure and maintain performance standards, even when distractions or nerves are present. 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝑷𝒓𝒆-𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒆? According to Moran (1996), a pre-performance routine is a sequence of task-relevant thoughts and behaviours that an athlete engages in before performing a sporting skill. 𝑫𝒐 𝑷𝒓𝒆-𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒌? Research suggests they can be particularly valuable under pressure. Mesagno et al. (2008) found that athletes using a pre-performance routine performed up to 29% better in high-pressure situations than those who did not use one. 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑴𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒂 𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑷𝒓𝒆-𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒆? Mesagno and Mullane-Grant (2010) highlighted several important components: 🌬 Deep breathing Two slow, deep breaths can help athletes regulate arousal before performance. For example, inhaling through the nose for around 5 seconds and exhaling through the mouth for 9–10 seconds. 🧠 Cue words Athletes can identify task-relevant words or phrases that focus attention on important aspects of their performance. A rugby goal kicker, for example, might use cues such as “coil” and “follow through.” ⏰ Timing consistency The routine should be consistent. Coaches can time the routine during practice so athletes become familiar with its duration and sequence. 🤛 Left-hand contraction Interestingly, recent research has explored left-hand contractions as part of pre-performance preparation. Mizuno and Masaki (2024) found that contracting a ball in the left hand immediately before a tennis serve improved performance compared with a control condition. Wadhwani et al. (2024) suggested that these effects may persist for at least 15 minutes. 🧠 Visualisation Athletes can also incorporate imagery into their routine, as Molly appears to do before her dive. 𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝑷𝒓𝒆-𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔 Perhaps most importantly, there is no single “perfect” routine. Pre-performance routines should be individualised (Mesagno & Mullane-Grant, 2010). One athlete might say their cue words while breathing; another might use them before or after their breathing routine. Some may benefit from visualisation, while others may prefer a simpler approach. The key is to experiment, establish an effective routine, and then practise it consistently. Athletes tend to perform better when they adhere to their established routine rather than deviating from it (Lonsdale & Tam, 2008). Molly's pre-dive routine is a powerful reminder that performing under pressure isn't necessarily about eliminating fear, it's about having a process that allows you to perform despite it. (🎥: Red Bull)

Confession: I'm a nervous public speaker… (yet I’ll make $1M+ from keynotes this year). Here are 9 strategies that turned my deepest fear into a powerful strength: PHASE 1: PREP WORK Strategy 1: Study the Best. We have the world's best speakers at our fingertips. Use them. Find 3-5 speakers you admire. Watch their talks on YouTube at 0.75x speed. Take notes on their structure and pacing, voice modulation, movement and gestures, audience engagement. Strategy 2: Create Clear Structure. Great speakers don't deliver speeches, they tell stories. Map your journey explicitly: opening hook, 3 key points, memorable close. Tell the audience where you're taking them. Strategy 3: Build Your "Lego Blocks." Don't memorize your entire speech. That's a trap. Instead, perfect these moments: your opening 30 seconds, key transitions, punchlines and closers. Practice in segments, not sequences. When things go sideways (they will), you'll adapt instead of freeze. Weird trick: Practice once while walking or jogging. It simulates the heart rate spike you'll feel on stage. PHASE 2: PRE-STAGE Strategy 4: Address the Spotlight. The Spotlight Effect: We think everyone's watching our every move. They're not. Use the "So What?" approach: Name your worst fear, ask "So what if it happens?", realize it's never that bad. You'll stumble? So what. Life goes on. Your family still loves you. Strategy 5: Get Into Character. Create your speaker persona. Ask yourself: What traits do they have? How do they move? What's their energy? Flip the switch. Become that character. It's not fake, it's your best self. Strategy 6: Eliminate Stress. The "Physiological Sigh" kills anxiety fast: Double-inhale through your nose, long exhale through your mouth, repeat 2-3 times. Science-backed. Immediate impact. PHASE 3: DELIVERY Strategy 7: Cut the Tension. Last week, they asked what song I wanted to enter to. I said "Girl on Fire" by Alicia Keys. They thought I was joking. I wasn't. "It's my 1-year-old's favorite song. Figured he'd be more excited to watch if Dad entered to his jam." Instant laughter. Tension gone. Audience on my side. Find your tension breaker. Use it early. Strategy 8: Play the Lava Game. Your pockets and torso are lava. Don't touch them. This forces you to gesture broadly, open your body, project confidence. Big gestures early build momentum. Strategy 9: Move Purposefully. Don't pace like you're nervous. Move like you own the room. Slow. Deliberate. Purposeful. Use movement to create dramatic pauses. Let your words land. Start with one speech, one strategy: Pick your next presentation—could be a team meeting, a toast, whatever. Choose ONE strategy from this list. Master it. Then add another. Public speaking is a muscle. These strategies are your workout plan. The more you practice, the stronger you get. Remember: Everyone gets nervous. The difference is having a system. Now you have one. Use it. Practice it. Watch yourself transform.

TBM tunnelling under a reservoir: the hardest part isn’t cutting rock — it’s controlling pressure 💧 At 20 m (65 ft) below water level, the tunnel face already “feels” ~2 bar (~30 psi) of hydrostatic head, before you add earth pressure. If you lose that balance, you don’t just get leakage… you can get a sudden inrush or a blow-out. That’s why saturated ground typically means a pressurised-face TBM: EPB (conditioned muck as the support medium) or slurry/Mixshield (bentonite slurry + controlled air cushion). Some slurry/Mixshield systems are designed for water pressures over 15 bar (>218 psi), but only with tight process control. The other half of the system is the lining: gasketed segmental rings, tail seals, and grout pressure management. Water will always look for the weakest interface. Key practices that make (or break) the drive: • Match face + annulus + grout pressures to the groundwater head • Condition the soil to reduce permeability and stabilize the face • Probe drill and pre-grout ahead of the cutterhead in risky zones • Remember: above ~3–4 bar (45–60 psi), hyperbaric interventions become a different world High-water tunnelling is less about “power” and more about discipline, monitoring, and team coordination. What’s been your most effective mitigation when groundwater pressure was the governing load? 🎥 by ZackDFilm (IG)

Offshore Training: Preparing for the Worst to Protect the Best Working offshore means operating in an environment where the margin for error is razor-thin. That’s why realistic, high-intensity training is not just a requirement — it’s a responsibility. Some of the critical safety modules, including: 🚁 Helicopter Ditching Scenarios – Simulated crash landings, underwater escape procedures, and survival techniques in extreme conditions. 🛟 Abandon Ship Drills – Rapid decision-making, teamwork, and mastering evacuation procedures to ensure every second counts. 🌊 Survival at Sea – Understanding the ocean’s unpredictability and preparing both mentally and physically for the unexpected. Training like this is tough, intense, and yes — sometimes scary. But it builds confidence, competence, and the ability to stay calm when others can’t. In our industry, preparation saves lives. We hope we never face these situations in reality — but we train so that if we do, we’re ready. #training #offshore #safety #helicopter #crash #ocean #sea #maritime #survival #energysector #HSE

In a recent SOC L2 interview, I was asked a deceptively scenario: “You’re alone on shift. Two critical alerts hit at the same time: • A DDoS attack on your payment gateway customers can’t make payments. • A ransomware alert on a live production server potentially spreading fast. You can only respond to one immediately. What do you do?” Most people instinctively say: “Go for ransomware first” — because it can encrypt systems fast and cause long-term damage. My thought: First: Ask the right questions, not just react • Is the ransomware alert confirmed encryption, or just an early EDR trigger? • Is the payment gateway completely down, or just slow? • Do we have automated containment or rate limiting already in place? • What’s our business dependency on that production server? Then: Make a surgical move, not a panic response If the ransomware alert is early (pre-encryption), I’ll: • Immediately isolate the endpoint, stop the spread. • Alert the IR team, preserve volatile memory, and trigger the playbook. • Rely on automation (EDR/WAF/CDN) to buy me minutes on the DDoS. But if the ransomware alert shows post-encryption, and the payment system is actively dropping customer transactions, I may: • Contain ransomware as a background task (snapshot, isolate), • But focus first on getting the payment gateway back up because real-time business loss + reputational damage can be irreversible too. #SOCAnalyst #CyberSecurity #IncidentResponse #BlueTeam #Ransomware #DDoS #SecurityOperations #RealWorldSecurity

I had just 30 minutes to prepare for a court hearing. Not a typo. Thirty minutes. No case file. No background. No second chance. The client had fired their previous advocate that very morning. They were desperate. I was brought in last-minute with nothing but the court number and the brief facts on WhatsApp. The other side? → Senior Counsel with a full legal team. → Pages of written submissions. → Well-rehearsed arguments. I was standing alone with a notepad. But I knew something they didn’t: In an courtroom, the judge is overworked, overloaded, and underwhelmed by drama. What they want is clarity. So while the other side quoted 7 judgments in 10 minutes… I did this: → Spoke in plain English. → Told the judge exactly what the issue was. → Gave 2 reasons why we deserved relief, nothing more. The judge leaned back and said: "Finally, someone is making sense." We won the hearing. Client folded hands in gratitude outside court. Here’s what I took away: → Your job isn’t to show off knowledge. It’s to solve a problem. → Simplicity is not weakness. It’s a strategy. → The best lawyers don’t confuse. They clarify. To every junior young lawyer: Don’t fall into the trap of over-explaining. Speak like you respect the judge’s time. That alone can set you apart.