HBR On Leadership Communicating with Confidence When You’re Under Pressure
89 snips
May 7, 2026 
Muriel Wilkins, leadership coach and author of Leadership Unblocked, helps leaders communicate under stress. She covers listening to understand, anchoring yourself to stay present, and when to pause or reschedule. Practical tips include focusing on outcomes, being concrete to show confidence, and choosing the right mode of communication.
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Set Boundaries To Avoid Reactive Replies
- If a response will be reactive or harmful, set a boundary and delay or shorten your reply.
- Muriel suggests saying I hear you, let me think about it, and return later with the necessary information.
Anchor On Outcome When You're Running On Empty
- When you must proceed despite low energy, anchor on the outcome and purpose rather than current feelings.
- Muriel uses endurance running imagery: focus on how you'll feel afterwards and the result you need to create.
Prepare Key Messages And Use Questions As Pauses
- Prepare concrete, succinct key messages and use questions to create pauses and buy time.
- Muriel recommends warming up before the field and structuring meetings to bring people back to the key three items.