Leader to Leader Resource
Managing Leadership Anxiety with Steve Cuss
Personal Reflection Questions
- Can you recall a season when you felt burned out or emotionally exhausted at work? At the time, what did you attribute it to? Looking back, what internal or external anxieties might also have been at play?
- Steve Cuss describes a three-step process for addressing anxiety: notice it, name it, and diffuse it. Which of these steps do you tend to avoid or rush past—and why do you think that is?
- As you reflect on the past month at work, where do you notice anxiety showing up for you? Is there a situation, decision, or relationship that has been taking up disproportionate space in your thoughts?
- When pressure rises, which of these false needs are you most likely to reach for: control, perfection, always having the answer, being there for everyone, or approval? How do you typically react when that need isn’t met? (Tip: look for moments when you overreact when you don’t get it.)
- Think about a current challenge you’re facing. What is truly yours to carry, and what belongs to someone else? How might gaining clarity here reduce your anxiety?
- Curious leaders are less likely to catch and spread anxiety. What is one step you could take in the next week to practice curiosity?
Team Discussion Questions
- What do you usually associate with burnout—workload, pace, expectations? What might we overlook?
- Steve Cuss shared three steps for dealing with leadership anxiety: notice it, name it, and diffuse it. Why do you think people often jump straight to fixing or diffusing the issue without slowing down to notice and name what’s really happening? What do we lose when we move too fast?
- Without naming people, what are some signs that anxiety is showing up on a team—either in ourselves or in the system?
- Steve Cuss described five common “false needs” that tend to surface under pressure: control, perfection, always knowing the answer, being there for everyone, and approval. Which one do you notice in yourself? How do you typically react when that “false need” isn’t met?
- One practice for reducing anxiety is clarifying what is yours to carry and what belongs to others. How could this kind of clarity help a team operate with less stress and more trust?
- Curious leaders—and teams—are less likely to absorb and spread anxiety. What is one practical way we could practice curiosity this week instead of reacting quickly? What impact could that have on our team?
