SW 14 | Brutally honest advice about leading under pressure in 57 minutes with Phil Pallen
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Brutally honest advice about leading under pressure in 57 minutes with Phil Pallen
Welcome to another episode of Staying Wild!
In less than 10 months, I helped an executive leader go from full burnout, on the verge of quitting or going on sick leave, to absolutely thriving.
We didn’t get there with a 5AM morning routine, meditation marathons, hustling harder, a reset holiday, hiring more staff, or Netflix escapes.
Instead, we used a leadership development framework that works in the real world:
Why longer hours, more meetings, and tighter control secretly destroy performance
Why you don’t actually work best under constant stress and pressure
And how to escape burnout while performing at your best by doing less
At the end, I’ll also share six powerful strategies to help you become the successful, fulfilled leader you want to be—without burning out.
And in the second half of this episode, I’m joined by Phil Pallen, brand and AI strategist, who reveals how he built a high-performing remote team long before it was trendy.
Leadership Under Pressure: The Mountain Metaphor
Picture this: you’re leading your team halfway up Norway’s Besseggen ridge.
The climb is steep, wild, exposed. And suddenly, a storm crashes in—fog rolls over, rain soaks through your clothes, wind drowns out your voice.
Every eye turns to you, the leader.
That’s what leadership in chaos feels like. Not the tidy case studies in Harvard Business Review. Not a LinkedIn influencer’s five-step hack.
The raw, unpredictable reality of:
Sudden layoffs
Investors stalling on funds
A toxic boss or team dynamic
Deadlines crumbling under pressure
A board demanding KPIs disconnected from reality
The “mountain” isn’t theoretical. It’s right here, right now. And you’re expected to keep climbing.
Case Study: From Chaos to Clarity
One of my clients, let’s call her Anna, described her work life in one word: chaos.
A toxic leadership culture
Boundaries blurred until work swallowed her life
Sleep collapsed, perfectionism spiked, delegation vanished
She was on call 24/7, even in the bath
Her team spiraled into mistrust, missed deadlines, and exhaustion
She felt like she was being asked to summit Everest with broken gear.
This is the first truth of leadership development under pressure:
Your team won’t look to you for productivity metrics when things fall apart. They’ll look to you for steadiness and safety.
Why High Pressure Lowers Performance
Psychologist Sian Beilock shows that even top performers “choke” under extreme stress. Pressure eats away at your working memory, making you more likely to make errors, freeze, or underperform.
The Yerkes–Dodson law confirms it:
Too little stress = boredom.
Too much stress = burnout and collapse.
The sweet spot = optimal performance.
High achievers often insist, “I work best under pressure.” But in reality, they work best when they’re focused, rested, and anchored in resilience.
This is where team development and leadership coaching play a crucial role. It’s not about gritting your teeth through chaos—it’s about managing your response to stress and setting the right pace for your team.
The Switchbacks Strategy
Anna was climbing the “mountain” straight up:
10-hour days, emails at 1AM
Cancelling holidays for meetings
Constant firefighting and perfectionism
We introduced switchbacks instead: steady zigzags that keep you moving without burning out.
Leadership translation:
Chunk the chaos → Focus on one problem at a time
Celebrate micro-wins → Small victories fuel motivation (Amabile’s research)
Set healthy boundaries → Example: no emails after 8PM
Anchor your power → Respond consciously, not reactively
Create a summit vision → Lead with identity, not just strategy
Soothe your nervous system → Step out of survival mode and into clarity
This approach transformed her. Within months, Anna was calm, sleeping well, enjoying family time, and leading her team through a toxic restructure with clarity and strength.
The Resilience Rope
Performance psychologist Dr. Jim Loehr reminds us:
Growth doesn’t come from constant strain—it comes from adaptive stress + recovery.
Elite athletes don’t outperform because they train harder. They win because they recover smarter.
Anna’s “resilience rope” included:
Guided visualisations
Breathing resets before meetings
Nature time and cabin weekends
Daily reading and weekly karate
Strict work-free weekends
Recovery wasn’t a luxury. It became the foundation of her performance.
The Northern Lights Moment
When I asked Anna, months later, if she could have imagined her transformation, her answer was: “No way!”
She had gone from nearly quitting to:
Leading with confidence
Sleeping deeply
Enjoying family and hobbies again
Guiding her company through a restructure
This is what I call the Northern Lights moment: when leadership stops being about hustling harder, and starts being about becoming the calm, clear presence your team can anchor to in the storm.
Key Leadership Development Lessons
Chaos is real. Crises, toxic dynamics, and broken systems are part of leadership.
Your steadiness matters most. Teams need calm, not frantic productivity.
Find your sweet spot. Optimal performance comes from balance, not overload.
Use switchbacks. Chunk chaos, celebrate wins, and set strong boundaries.
Recovery is performance. Rest fuels resilience and long-term success.
Be the Northern Lights. Lead with clarity and presence, not hustle and grind.
Take Your Team Further—Without Burnout
If you want to strengthen your leadership development, team performance, and resilience, I can help.
👉 In the next 45 days, I’ll help your team:
Increase on-time delivery
Boost positivity and resilience by 10–30%+
Lift confidence by 5–15%+
Reduce stress by 5–30%+
Reclaim 1–4 hours per leader, every week
And if we’re not hitting 2–3 of our agreed KPIs? I’ll work two extra weeks for free.
Book your free 20-minute leadership diagnostic. We’ll pinpoint one stressor draining your performance and identify a quick win that could cut stress by 30%.
Because leadership isn’t just about surviving chaos. It’s about climbing higher—without burning out.
Guest Spotlight — Leadership + Remote Team Building Lessons With Phil Pallen
In this episode, I’m joined by Brand and AI Strategist, Phil Pallen, owner of the agency Phil Pallen Collective. He’s guided 400+ clients (including me) to position, build, and promote their brands effectively for business results
I’ve worked with Phil for years, and we had a blast when he and his partner Javi visited me in Norway a few years ago!
But today, we’re skipping branding and AI.
While many businesses are still figuring out how to manage distributed teams, Phil has been building high-performing remote teams for over 15 years!
Building High-Performing Remote Teams: Leadership Lessons from Phil Pallen
Phil’s approach to leadership development, team development, and team building has not only helped him retain top talent for a decade or more but also created a culture of loyalty, autonomy, and consistent results.
Leadership Development in a Remote World
Phil believes that great leadership isn’t about control—it’s about trust. Many executive leaders fall into the trap of micromanagement, but Phil proves that freedom fuels excellence. His philosophy aligns perfectly with modern leadership development strategies: equip your people, trust them to deliver, and measure results—not hours.
Team Development That Sticks
One of Phil’s most powerful insights is that team development is a process, not a one-off project. He recommends starting small—testing contractors or employees with specific projects before expanding responsibility. Over time, this creates a culture of growth and commitment, where people are trusted to evolve and expand their impact.
Key strategies Phil shared for effective team development:
Clear communication from day one.
Consistent, motivating feedback that empowers rather than discourages.
Giving ownership of processes and documentation to the team itself.
The Art of Team Building for Performance and Retention
Phil’s leadership style is a masterclass in team building. By rewarding loyalty, recognising initiative, and creating space for autonomy, he’s built a team that thrives under pressure while staying highly engaged.
His advice for leaders looking to strengthen team building in their organisations:
Focus on value delivered, not time logged.
Celebrate wins both big and small.
Make team members feel seen, trusted, and appreciated.
Why This Matters for Executive Leaders
If you’re an executive leader navigating the pressures of remote or hybrid teams, this conversation is packed with takeaways for your own leadership development journey. The ability to build resilient, motivated, and high-performing teams is no longer optional—it’s the core of sustainable success.
Phil’s biggest reminder?
“Communicate from day one. Don’t let things fester. Lead in the way you’d want to be led.”
This episode is a must-listen if you want to elevate your leadership development skills, strengthen team development, and master team building in a remote-first world.
Connect with Phil Pallen:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philpallen
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philpallen
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@philpallen
Website: https://www.philpallen.co
Want To Work With Me?
If you want me to help you or your team get to the next level without burning out, let’s chat :)
Email me: adelaide@adelaidegoodeve.com
Call me: +47 934 49 766
Book a 20-min Diagnostic call [here]
