If there’s one constant I’ve seen among founders, it’s stress. This holds true regardless of their industry, development stage, or level of success.
Stress is inevitable, yes, but not unmanageable. The key isn’t avoiding it (good luck with that) but in building habits that reduce it to a manageable level. I’ve learned from years of working with founders that stress management is a foundational leadership skill.
Here’s what works:
1. Deep Breathing: Your Body’s Built-In Stress Reducer
It’s easy to brush off deep breathing as a joke, but according to a review by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, regular practice of slow, focused breathing can help lower blood pressure and ease tension in your body. Studies show that just a few minutes of belly breathing or paced breathing can slow your heart rate, alleviate muscle tightness, and calm your mind.
Don’t dismiss this as trivial. Next time stress creeps up, take a pause. Breathe deeply and intentionally. You’ll be surprised by the immediate effect.
2. Preparation: The Antidote to Anxiety
Of all the stress-management tactics I’ve observed, preparation might be the most overlooked. Take public speaking, for instance. Even seasoned executives admit public speaking rattles their nerves.
But I’ve consistently found that thorough preparation is the antidote. When you deeply understand your material and have a truly important message to deliver, anxiety lessens dramatically.
This logic applies broadly, from big client presentations to internal meetings to strategic decision-making. Preparation creates clarity, and clarity reduces stress.
3. Mindful Media Consumption
While staying informed is critical, constant exposure to sensationalized news cycles can dramatically heighten anxiety. Choose deliberately when and how you consume information to keep stress manageable.
While staying informed is important, relentless exposure to negative news can quietly build anxiety. A report from the American Psychological Association found that constant news consumption causes anxiety and mood issues, including stress, fatigue, and sleep loss.
Opt for intentional reading: set specific times, skip the doom-scrolling rabbit holes, and balance the news with something uplifting.
4. Cultivate Mind-Clearing Experiences
Meditation isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. I’ve personally never mastered sitting still long enough. However, everyone can find activities that completely engage their minds and bodies.
For me, basketball has always been that activity. When you’re fully absorbed physically and mentally, worries about customer relationships or looming deadlines fade away.
Identify your version of basketball. Maybe it’s running, cycling, gardening, or woodworking. Anything that absorbs your full attention can act as a reset button, helping restore balance and reduce stress.
5. Set Realistic Expectations for Yourself and Your Team
Founders often have a relentless drive, which is a critical ingredient for success. Yet, if unchecked, this ambition can create unrealistic expectations for founders and their teams. I’ve seen founders who still expect 100-hour workweeks, not just from themselves but from everyone around them.
Research shows that productivity declines sharply after about 50 hours a week, meaning those extra hours often accomplish less, while burnout and turnover rise. This outdated approach inevitably leads to burnout and churn, hurting your company in the long run.
Balance your expectations. You might occasionally need to go full throttle to hit critical milestones, but maintaining an ongoing culture of excessive demands isn’t sustainable. Recognize this early and adjust accordingly.
6. Manage Expectations by Being Realistic and Proactive
Those adjustments, the kind of calibration mentioned above, are about managing expectations. Whether with a client, boss, co-worker, or spouse, clear communication about expectations is key to avoiding frustration and wasted effort.
What someone wants done and by when shouldn’t be the focus of the conversation. Instead, listen to what your people are saying and then center the discussion on what can realistically be done. If something is not possible on a certain timeline, it’s better to know early. Being able to re-project, adjust behaviors, and devise a new plan is much more productive than everyone making a mad dash to a doomed deadline.
This applies to functions large and small. Establishing email response times removes uncertainty on both ends. Giving more time to a new initiative that affords everyone the grace to adjust their workflows will garner more lasting support than something hoisted upon your team.
You can’t always give people what they want, but you can always provide them with clarity. Clarifying scope, timeline, and bandwidth upfront and then adjusting throughout isn’t just good leadership—it’s stress prevention.
7. Role Model the Balance You Want
This one might be the hardest for some founders: walking the walk. Your team doesn’t just hear what you say; they watch what you do. If you’re constantly stressed, working without breaks, and never disconnecting, guess what? They’ll mirror your behavior.
I once advised a founder who still insisted on working punishing hours at age 70. When I explained how this unrealistic expectation was driving talent away rather than attracting it, he finally saw the need to change.
It’s crucial to visibly and consistently model sustainable work habits.
The Cost of Ignoring Stress
Stress left unmanaged never disappears; it builds. Eventually, it breaks something: a relationship, your health, or even your company’s culture. Effective leaders tackle stress proactively, transforming it into another manageable part of their success.
Think of stress management not as another task on your to-do list but as a foundational habit you build deliberately over time. Deep breathing, rigorous preparation, mindful media consumption, intentional mind-clearing activities, realistic expectations, and role modeling will become core leadership practices that transform how you handle pressure.
Stress isn’t your enemy unless you let it be. Instead, make it manageable. Lead with less stress, not less ambition.