08/15/2025
She missed out on her child’s graduation… and months later, she lost the business too.
I worked for a VP who was new in her role and eager to make a difference. When our order process slowed, she set out to improve both speed and quality. One Friday, the invite came at noon for a 3:00 PM meeting. It became the first of many late-night sessions as we picked apart the process step-by-step, determined to find the perfect solution.
One week after launching the new process, she scrapped it and replaced it with another. Then another. The cycle repeated for months. She didn’t realize the slowdown was just the natural learning curve.
Her fear of failure kept her from trusting her team and herself. She didn’t understand how the brain works under pressure. Neuroscience shows that when leaders constantly change direction during stressful periods, they disrupt the brain’s ability to adapt, build skill, and regain speed.
According to Gallup, only 31% of U.S. employees are engaged. That’s like fielding a team where two-thirds never leave the bench. Leaders who lead without understanding the brain risk keeping them there.
📄 Read the full story and brain-based leadership insights here: https://www.lvluptalent.com/post/when-overthinking-turns-a-slump-into-a-shutdown
What a Friday afternoon meeting taught me about leadership, brain science, and trustThere we were, another late-night working session. That Friday, the invite had landed in our inboxes at noon for a 3:00 PM meeting. Our VP, new to her role and eager to make a difference, wanted to improve both the s...
