339: Transforming Your Stress into a Strength

How can you effectively manage stress and stay composed in high-pressure situations? In this episode, Dr. Susan Bernstein dives into the power of somatic leadership, offering insights on how you can use body signals to transform your responses to time pressures and unexpected changes. Drawing from her extensive experience working with top companies like Cisco and Google, Susan shares practical techniques that foster self-awareness, reduce stress, and enable you to create a sense of calm in chaotic environments.

By learning to tune into your body’s signals, you can improve decision-making and enhance team dynamics. Susan discusses six common nervous system response patterns—fight, flight, freeze, fawn, fade, and fix—and shows how leaders can shift from a reactive, “fight” mode into a more grounded, mindful approach. This shift not only alleviates stress but also boosts resilience and fosters a healthier workplace culture.

Susan is the CEO of a boutique consulting firm called Powerful Under Pressure. As the name implies, she helps leaders and teams at companies like Cisco, Google, and Uber excel under the most demanding conditions.

Susan combines her past experiences in leadership roles at Intel and Accenture with an MBA from UC Berkeley and a PhD in Somatic Psychology in her work with clients. Susan developed the Powerful Under Pressure framework to help organizations strengthen operational capacity by increasing the resilience and clarity of the people leading them. This emphasis equips teams to navigate complexity with sound judgment and sustained performance.

You’ll discover:

The concept of “somatic smarts” and how small shifts in body awareness can lead to greater leadership effectiveness
The six nervous system response patterns and how they impact your decisions
Simple somatic techniques you can use to enhance self-awareness and relaxation
How self-awareness can help you navigate high-pressure situations with calmness and clarity
Strategies for supporting your team in managing stress and building resilience