Choking under pressure, where one freezes and underperforms when it matters most — even despite deep expertise and years of practice — is well known in the world of sports. But we hear less about the day-to-day chokes that happen at work.
The Science of Choking Under Pressure
What leaders can learn from elite athletes about performing in the biggest moments.
April 07, 2022
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Summary.
Nobody is immune from choking in a big moment. Maybe you lost your voice or your ability to think straight when speaking with an important client, manager, or audience. To help prevent “the choke” at work, we can apply learnings form the world of sports to the world of management. Like an athlete ready for the big game, assuming that you’ve already learned and practiced the skills that you’ll draw on, there are a number of techniques that can help you reduce the pressure or boost your ability to cope with it, which will ultimately help you fully access your well-honed skills and both prevent and navigate through a potential choke.