Quotes from Hendrie Weisinger

Like a beta-blocker, confidence acts as a neurochemical antidote that allows them—allows each of us—to move forward even when we are feeling the physical and psychological manifestations of pressure.

Employees are not productive because they are satisfied; they are satisfied because they are productive. High satisfaction is the result of high performance, not the cause of it.

Think of the high-pressure situations you've been in, and the times you've performed well. You were probably enjoying the moment despite the pressure

time (and other) pressure might make you feel more creative, but it does not help you do higher-quality work. In

Time pressure may drive people to get more done, but it causes them to think less creatively." This same effect can be seen in teams.

you believe that the only way to be successful in a pressure situation is to perform better than you ever have performed before—that is, to be perfect—you stop trusting your capabilities, and worse, you start doing things that do not help you succeed. You

Individuals who can perform under pressure appraise the criticism as information that can help them. In

Magnification often comes into our thinking when we become too attached to the outcome. While emphasizing the importance of a test or task might increase our effort, the extra pressure we put on ourselves typically downgrades our performance.

Acknowledging the experience, skills, and other positive qualities you possess is an effective way to buffer yourself from the pressure you face.

Ed Catmull says, "Toy Story 2 was the defining moment for our studio.… People and how they work together is more important than ideas. They [other companies] could copy our technology but they couldn't copy our team.

Individuals with a higher degree of confidence work harder, persist longer, are more optimistic and enthusiastic, show more grit and determination, and choose more difficult and higher goals than those with less confidence.

In effect, higher testosterone and lower cortisol allow them to be the "calm person in the boat.

When we engage in what she terms a "high-power pose" where our bodies are more open and expansive—arms open as opposed to closed across our chest, standing straight with shoulders back as opposed to hunched with shoulders folded forward, occupying more space versus less—our brain and body respond by increasing testosterone and decreasing cortisol. Testosterone levels go up by 20 to 25 percent, and cortisol goes down by 20 to 25 percent.

Whether you come in first or last, you're still my horse!

The pressure to get Toy Story 2 successfully made was not the high pressure of a single moment, like giving a speech or competing in a musical competition or sporting event. It was an intense, long-lasting pressure that wore people down. And it came immediately following the three-year grind of making of A Bug's Life, which was ten times as complex as the original Toy Story.

I've done it before. I can do it again" is the mantra of this pressure solution.

These small wins matter more because they are so much more likely to occur compared to the big break-throughs in the world. If we only waited for the big wins, we would be waiting a long time. And we would probably quit long before we saw anything tangible come to fruition. What you need instead of big wins is simply the forward momentum that small wins bring.

Testosterone has another important effect: It increases levels of dopamine, the feel-good chemical in the brain that mediates the reward network. Pay raises, compliments, sex, experiencing any kind of success—all result in increased levels of dopamine in the brain.

But we now know that even small victories, or micro-successes—a productive conversation with your boss, or a positive phone call with a client, a compliment from a colleague or friend—can have the same impact. They stimulate the winner effect, causing the release of testosterone and dopamine, which in turn build confidence.

There's no pressure. It is going to be fun, a great game, and I look forward to meeting the challenge.

Next, think about likely questions or interruptions, and rehearse your responses. Then think of additional questions or interruptions, and how you would handle them.

Feeling challenged is an inherent performance steroid—your body releases more adrenaline than noradrenaline, which means the smooth muscle in your blood vessels dilate, as do your your lungs, and now you have more oxygenated blood going to the tissues that need it. Your body has more energy and your brain can think more clearly.

The philosopher Epictetus said more than two thousand years ago, "Man is not troubled by events but rather how he interprets them.

THINK OF PRESSURE MOMENTS AS A CHALLENGE OR OPPORTUNITY/FUN