Threat

I get more calls from stressed leaders these days than I’ve gotten in a long time. They all want to book coaching time. This organizational SOS comes at a time of great uncertainty for everyone.

The potential impact of seismic shifts in how things get done--the massive firings and layoffs, the wild and terrifying international events, the impact of the pandemic and natural disasters? They represent threat, just as spending more time at home with someone whose violence increases threat.

“Threat” is that state of anxiety that breeds panic attacks, night terrors, and waking up feeling as if we are suffocating. It is any stimulus that challenges an individual's sense of safety, sanity, or well-being. When confronted with a threat, the brain activates “Freeze>Fight or flight>Immobility, dissociation or death.” How far down that path it goes depends on a lot of factors.

Age, agency, history, options, physical stature, nature of the threat all play a role. One-time events? Mass event? National condition? Support from people we care about during and afterwards.

Do we just go numb? Or do we go berserk?