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When pressure rises, human capacity narrows
... and human capacity is the hidden variable in performance.
Most leadership advice assumes that under pressure, people simply need to work harder or perform better.
But pressure does something more fundamental.
It reshapes human capacity — narrowing attention, judgment, voice, and decision-making in ways leaders rarely see.
My work studies what happens to organizations when pressure becomes sustained — and how leaders can build systems that expand human capacity instead of quietly eroding it.
ABOUT
Dr. LISA JONES CHRISTENSEN
Organizational Psychologist. Entrepreneurship Professor. Author. Coach. Speaker.
I am an organizational psychologist, entrepreneurship professor, and author of a forthcoming book on trauma-informed leadership. I study what sustained pressure does to human capital, organizational resilience, and the leaders responsible for both. I also coach and speak with leaders and founders navigating high-stakes environments.
Most leadership advice assumes that under pressure, people simply need to work harder or perform better.
But pressure does something more fundamental.
It reshapes human capacity — narrowing attention, judgment, voice, and decision-making in ways leaders rarely see.
My work studies what happens to organizations when pressure becomes sustained — and how leaders can build systems that preserve human capacity instead of quietly eroding it.
"Sustained pressure does not announce itself. It quietly narrows what people can see, say, and do, long before anyone names it as a problem."
From the forthcoming
"The Trauma-Informed Leader: What To Do Before Your Best People Go Quiet"
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