“Admitting to stress is admitting failure. I try to take that belief away from others, but it’s not easy.” This message hit me hard when a director friend of mine texted it to me. An honest and very relatable reflection.

When you see your own stress as a sign of failure, even if you don’t say it out loud, you’re sending that signal to your team. And it has an impact. Unintentional, but with real consequences.

This director, whom I know well, genuinely wants his employees to feel no shame about stress. He wants them to talk openly about it, to use it, and to feel safe asking for help. But even he sees his own stress as a weakness. Does this sound familiar?

If you want your people to understand and believe that stress is normal, part of the job, and doesn’t define their competence or performance, you have to address your own limiting beliefs first.

The solution? A new mindset around stress.

A mindset that recognizes stress as a natural and essential part of the human experience. One that lets you feel how stress brings courage, confidence, and resilience. Without stress, you wouldn’t be able to achieve your vision and dreams.

When you accept stress in all its forms, you’re truly ready to have the conversation you claim to want: a conversation where stress isn’t avoided but embraced as a powerful tool.

Nothing to be ashamed of.

So, what’s stopping you from changing your mindset?

P.S. The director who texted me this message is joining my “In Love with Stress” challenge. He’s not holding back anymore! Just saying…