HBR On Leadership Communicating Clearly When You’re Under Stress
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Nov 26, 2025 
Muriel Wilkins, a leadership development coach and host of Coaching Real Leaders, reveals key communication techniques for stressful situations. She emphasizes the importance of listening to improve interactions and suggests mindfulness practices to stay present. Muriel highlights the value of concise language to enhance clarity and advises checking emotional readiness before discussions. She offers strategies for delivering difficult messages authentically and encourages leaders to be transparent only when it benefits the audience.
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Check Your Readiness First
- Check in with yourself before communicating to assess tiredness, emotions, and preparation.
- If you're not in the right state, decide whether to postpone or take steps to steady yourself.
Listening Reduces Reactivity
- Listening to understand reduces reactivity and improves responses under stress.
- Anchoring on the speaker's words helps you stay present and less reactive.
Delay Or Anchor On Purpose
- Ask whether you can delay a conversation if you're too weary to engage fully.
- If delay isn't possible, anchor on the purpose and outcome to motivate yourself through it.
