Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style

422: Why Hustling Harder Under Stress Actually Hurts Your Leadership Performance and Executive Presence

Jun 18, 2025

Explore how pushing through stress can actually lead to burnout instead of resilience. Dr. Ute reveals outdated views on resilience and their negative impact on high achievers. Discover practical strategies like Progressive Muscle Relaxation to enhance performance under pressure. Understand the unique challenges faced by neurodivergent leaders and the importance of self-acceptance. Learn how effective communication and self-reflection can fortify your executive presence during high-stakes situations.

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INSIGHT

Control Illusion Fuels Burnout

The harder you try to control outcomes during stress, the more stress and burnout increase.
Seeking control under stress triggers negative brain blueprints and decreases safety, raising anxiety and discomfort.

ANECDOTE

Neurodivergent Experience and Stress

Dr. Ute shared her neurodivergent experience with dyslexia and school struggles labeling her "stupid."
These early experiences contributed to anxiety and depression impacting stress resilience.

INSIGHT

Yielding Is Core to Resilience

True resilience means yielding when under excessive pressure to avoid breaking.
Yielding is essential and often mistaken as weakness instead of a resilience mechanism.

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In today’s episode you’ll discover why the harder you push through stress at work, the more burned out you become—even though you're known for being resilient.

In this episode, psychologist Dr. Ute reveals to us why traditional definitions of resilience are outdated and even harmful—especially for high achievers and neurodivergent professionals. We explore how control, internalized narratives, and workplace pressure are quietly eroding performance and well-being.

To chat with Laura to see if her Executive Presence Mastery System is right for you click here.

By the end of today’s episode you’ll know:

🧬The science of "progressive resilience" and how to actually build it under pressure

🥊Simple yet powerful exercises you can use in the boardroom or during any sort of crisis

🔑How to recognize hidden signs of burnout and regain clarity without quitting your job or having a nervous breakdown

If you want to lead with more confidence, clarity, and connection—especially when stakes are high and it's a pressure cooker, get your copy of my Executive Presence Self-Assessment here. My compliments. It goes through the 10 qualities that make up executive presence that are essential for success as a senior executive.

For more information visit www.speakupwithlaura.com. Our Speak Up podcast episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early in the morning

About our guest:

In today’s fast-paced and demanding environment, success requires more than leadership skills—it requires psychological resilience, emotional intelligence, and the ability to address challenges at their root. As a Chartered Counselling and Coaching Psychologist, Dr. Ute brings decades of clinical expertise combined with proven coaching strategies to help leaders, teams, and organisations thrive.

She applies evidence-based psychological techniques that foster flexibility, enabling clients to adapt to challenges and take value-based, committed actions. This approach ensures measurable, long-term impact—empowering clients to thrive rather than merely cope.

Access Dr. Ute’s Progressive Resilience Masterclass here: Your Masterclass.

In Speak Up communication and executive presence coaching, high performing leaders and executives learn to enhance their influence and confidence, refining their communication style to increase visibility and effectiveness in promotion opportunities.

By honing communication skills and fostering a trusted advisor mindset, aspiring executives cultivate mastery in public speaking and beat imposter syndrome. Your leadership becomes more strategic and inspiring.