About > Agency news
How We Carry Pressure
Pressure is inevitable in our industry.
It shows up in big, visible moments — a startup preparing for its first launch, an agency managing multiple high-stakes initiatives, a team operating under intense expectations. And sometimes it’s quieter, but it’s still there.
What defines leadership isn’t whether pressure exists. It’s how we carry it.
Early in her career, Renee believed pressure meant getting the right answer and getting there fast. In one meeting, encouraged to be unyielding, she pushed hard to secure a point in marketing materials.
The team got what it wanted. She was praised for being assertive.
But someone left the room in tears.
What stayed with her wasn’t the outcome — it was how the room felt: tense, guarded, smaller. Even in a moment of “winning,” something felt misaligned. That experience revealed a deeper truth: results achieved at the expense of trust don’t feel like strength.
Not long after, Renee stepped into a larger leadership role, guiding marketing teams across two companies during a co-promotion drug launch. Expectations grew. Visibility increased. The pressure intensified.
But her approach had changed.
She began to feel accountable not only for outcomes, but for how the work felt to the people doing it. Sitting between pressure from above and the team below, she recognized that part of her role was deciding what to carry and what to pass on.
Some pressure needed to be addressed. Not all of it needed to be transmitted.
She didn’t fully realize the impact of that choice until a direct report told her, “When I look at you and you’re calm, I know everything is going to be okay.”
That’s when it crystallized: pressure is inevitable. Passing it on is optional.
Renee has learned to recognize when she’s out of alignment — when she moves toward control instead of trust. Patience shortens. Listening narrows. People become more careful. The energy in the room tightens.
And when that happens, people focus more on being right than exploring what’s possible.
But when she stays aligned — leading with steadiness, respect, and trust — something shifts. The room relaxes. Conversation opens up. Ideas build instead of compete. Even under pressure, there’s space to experiment.
High standards remain. Ego doesn’t have to.
In high-stakes environments like pharma launches, pressure will always exist. Timelines are real. Expectations are high. The work matters.
But leaders shape how that pressure moves through an organization.
We can’t control the pressure around us. We can choose how we carry it and what we pass on.
Renee’s full reflection offers a thoughtful, personal look at how those moments can shape not just outcomes — but culture.
Read How We Carry Pressure and explore the experiences behind this perspective.
