I used to think of pressure in a “vertical” sense, like this thing that’s raining down on me. Lightning bolts and thunder clouds. That feeling of being under pressure.
At some point along the path of growth it hit me that we’re not under pressure, we’re facing pressure. That’s a subtle but monumental difference; viewing pressure “horizontally” > “vertically”.
When I’m facing pressure horizontally, it’s like looking at a stair step. I’m not being punished by the thunderclouds above my head, I’m being catalyzed by the challenge in front of my eyes. I’m presented with a question accompanied by a short menu of choices.
“What do I have to do to level-up to take this next step that the pressure is challenging me to take?”
If/when I can get myself to that question, pressure becomes a feature (as opposed to a bug) of both my personal growth flywheel and the execution path forward. The old saying “pressure is a privilege” comes into play, because the pressure forces the growth step that I need to take.
Challenge Accepted. Taking the Step Up
That “step” might manifest as any number of things depending on the category. Such as:
- Knowledge: Finding a mentor whose lived experience can augment my knowledge gap.
Story from my life: I’d never negotiated an investor deal before. Fortunately, during my first one, I had an opportunity to sit with two mentors – Corey Ferengul & Sam Guren – who filled the knowledge gap with their experience (quite literally, they sat there at the table with us, advising in the background). - Skill: Pick up a book or enroll in a course/workshop for a skill I lack.
Story from my life: I didn’t think I could be a team manager. Picked up books such as High Output Management, One Minute Manager, Measure What Matters, Traction, etc. Over time, piece by piece, I was able to put systems of management into practice. - Comfort Zone: Step into the cold water of a difficult conversation I’ve been avoiding having.
Story from my life: oh boy take your pick…
Being behind on sales goals drove me to travel to clients at a bolder rate than I would have.
Struggling to raise funds drove my cofounder & I to bet on ourselves, against the advice of a few smart folks looking out for us, to step into Shark Tank at age 23 and try not to publicly humiliate ourselves.
Going through an investor down round drove me to make phone calls to powerful people that I admired, who had personally bet on me, and whom I was now letting down. That one really kicked my ass back then. Today, I’m so grateful to have it under my belt.
That “comfort zone” category is the one that I always hate the most in the moment, and cherish the most in hindsight. It expands us in unobvious ways, and the “been there done that” list ultimately becomes our greatest asset.
The Simple Decision Tree
No matter what the situation, we’re always facing a simple decision tree. Pressure never has to be a random lightning bolt.
“The situation is problem X. …My options are: action A, action B, or action C”
Assess A, B, and C. Pick one. Know why you’re picking it (so that, right or wrong, you can look back and refine your choices model), and step forward.
As sticky as problem X may be, and as imperfect as choosing between actions A-B-C may be, the fact of the decision tree really is that simple.
Mindset is the Root
Decision tree aside, this all starts with the mindset. Do whatever you have to do to get your mind to zoom out (exercise + meditate + journal = my core system), and when you get it there, face the pressure head on. Take the step up.
Horizontal > Vertical.
