How Stress Is Quietly Wrecking Your Team—and What to Do About It (with Eliz Greene)
If you’ve ever found yourself lying in bed at 3 a.m. running through tomorrow’s to-do list, wondering if your team’s going to drop the ball again—this one’s for you.
On this episode of the TrustBuilt Podcast, I sat down with Eliz Greene, a heart attack survivor, stress researcher, and one of the most insightful voices I’ve heard on what pressure actually does to our bodies, our brains, and our teams.
Spoiler: It’s not just “burnout.” It’s breakdown.
And it’s more common than you think.
The Stress You're Carrying Isn’t Just Yours
Here’s the gut-punch moment for me:
“Stress is contagious.”
Eliz doesn’t just mean that metaphorically. The way you show up—tense, irritable, withdrawn—sets the emotional tone for your entire team. And if you’re in a constant state of fight-or-flight, your people start living there too.
That’s when things break:
Turnover rises
Communication crumbles
Trust vanishes
All while you’re trying to do more to keep things on track.
Control, Cortisol, and the Lies Leaders Believe
Eliz talks about how our brains are wired to seek control—especially when things feel chaotic. But here’s the kicker:
“Trying to control everything is the fastest way to lose control.”
Instead, she teaches her audience to ask two simple but powerful questions:
What can I control?
What’s possible right now?
That shift—from clenching harder to opening up—can literally lower your cortisol levels and help you make better decisions. It’s not woo-woo. It’s neuroscience. And it’s the kind of tool I wish I had 10 years ago.
What Leaders Can Actually Do
This episode isn’t just a diagnosis of the problem. Eliz gives real, doable actions to reduce stress and build trust, including:
Simple breathwork techniques to regulate stress in the moment
Reframing unpredictability so your team can move forward with confidence
How to create a workplace where people feel seen and valued (and why that’s the secret to retention)
We even talked about the difference between discipline and rigidity—and why high-performing teams crave the first and revolt against the second.
You Can’t Lead Well When You’re Running on Empty
If you’ve been white-knuckling your way through leadership…
If your people seem checked out or on edge…
If you’re carrying the weight of a business that feels like it’s running you instead of the other way around…
This conversation will meet you where you are—and show you a path forward.
Listen now:
How Stress Is Quietly Wrecking Your Team – with Eliz Greene
Your Team Feels What You Carry. Let’s Build a Business That Doesn’t Burn You Out.
I help business owners turn chaos into clarity—by building systems that create space, accountability, and trust.
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