September 28, 2025

Gaining Control Over Stress

Dear Uncommon Leaders, 

How was your weekend? Are you ready to take on a new week?

As always, be intentional and uncommon in your leadership this week.

Have a great one!

This Week's Question:

How’s your overall stress level right now? 📈

This Week's Challenge: 

Let’s face it—there’s a lot going on in the world right now, and leadership is already stressful enough on its own.

I’ve noticed that I sometimes ignore my own stress. I just push through, hoping it’ll fade. But ignoring it doesn’t make it go away—and it definitely doesn’t make me a better leader.

When I pause to acknowledge stress—rate it, name it, confront it—I regain control.

And once I’m honest about it, I can start to deal with it.

Your challenge this week:

Take a moment to check in with yourself.

  • What’s your current stress level—honestly?
  • What’s causing it?
  • What would help reduce it?

Maybe it’s asking for help.

Maybe it’s turning off the news and putting down your phone.

Maybe it’s finally knocking out that one lingering task you’ve been avoiding.

Stress is part of leadership, but we don’t lead well when stress is leading us.

Take a breath. Take ownership. Then take one step forward.

Let’s go be Uncommon. ⤴️

This Week's Quote to Ponder:

“It’s not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.” - Hans Selye, pioneer of stress research

Until next week,

LET'S GO BE UNCOMMON!

W. Kevin Harrison

Founder and Executive Coach

Uncommon Influence

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