Stress is not the enemy, and trying to calm down may be making things worse. Dr. Rebecca Heiss joins Michelle Johnston to unpack the science behind stress, why uncertainty pushes leaders toward control, and how reframing fear can improve performance. Their conversation moves from boardrooms to classrooms to basketball courts, showing how stress can become useful energy instead of a barrier. Rebecca shares practical tools for public speaking, leadership, and self-talk, including her “coach voice,” emotional distancing, and curiosity as an antidote to fear. The result is a fresh, hopeful framework for using pressure as momentum.
This episode is a strong reminder that meaningful work often comes with elevated stress, and that pressure does not have to mean panic. It can be reframed as purpose, momentum, and forward motion.
