Startups and political campaigns have a lot in common. Though different in purpose, both require building and scaling an organization quickly, often with limited resources. The intensity and risk of failure in both environments mean that workers tend to be younger and less experienced, operating under immense pressure. Campaigns staffers face the urgency of a looming election, where coming in second is not an option. Startups contend with challenges like launching a product, potential capital depletion, or the pressure of a significant business transaction. There’s always a fire to put out.
In these adrenaline-laden cultures, it’s easy to fall into a pattern of constant work. Having coached driven individuals in both fields, I have observed the importance of learning when it’s okay to ease off. In fast-paced settings, it’s essential to be strategic with your energy and take breaks when you can.
Pace yourself. A CEO acquaintance once said, “You can’t run a team in redline all the time.” Our bodies, like machines, break if overworked for too long, or we may find that the gas tank is empty when a crisis arises. The CEO’s advice: distinguish between emergencies and non-emergencies, avoid unnecessary late-night work and skip meetings that don’t require your presence. If there’s free time, don’t automatically fill it with work. Take the advice often given to new moms: “sleep when the baby sleeps.” Be opportunistic. Use breaks to exercise or step away from your desk. I often encourage clients to take our coaching calls while walking and do other meetings as walk-and-talks, too. During critical times like get-out-the-vote efforts or deal closings, it gets even harder to take a break, so seize rest opportunities whenever they appear. Even short breaks can significantly impact your well-being over time.
Perspective. A key leadership skill is the ability to shift perspectives, especially valuable when everything seems urgent. Key perspective shifts include:
- See the bigger picture. In moments where an error or deadline feels overwhelming, zooming out to view the larger context can help. An error, for example, might be minor in the grand scheme. A fuller understanding of the larger objectives can help you decide how much effort to invest in each task. Stepping up on the “balcony” can help you notice patterns, trends, and outliers.
- Cultivate curiosity. Stress can trigger fear, frustration, or anger, increases reactivity and impulsivity and hampers thoughtful decision-making. Curiosity—seeking knowledge and understanding—is a powerful antidote that supports business innovation and the flexibility needed in the swiftly changing landscape and news cycles of a campaign. In addition, dialing up curiosity helps regulate emotions, reducing knee-jerk reactions and promoting understanding—a key to learning from experiences and growing.
- Find the bright spots. Focusing on the positive aspects of a situation can help you get through difficult times. For example, celebrating small wins can build morale, connecting with colleague will help you feel less alone, finding humor in a situation (even gallows humor) can relieve some of the tension of a difficult or hopeless-seeming situation, and practicing gratitude increases resilience. In addition, identifying what is working and looking for ways to replicate it or expand it supports positive transformation.
- Take the long view. This moment, this week, or this month may be difficult—it may really suck. Difficult periods won’t last forever. Campaigns culminate in elections; startups reach milestones, launch products, or transition into new phases. Imagine your future self, five, ten, even twenty years down the road – how will you see this moment? Think of elders you admire – how do they see the difficult times they have endured? This moment in time will change. It’s a chapter in your story, not the whole
Prioritize. In campaigns and fast-paced startups, demands surpass resources. You are constantly juggling meetings, deadlines, deliverables, fire drills, and ad hoc inbound requests. Beyond these demands, managers must guide and manage their teams and leaders need to be strategic, to shape the vision, and create value. The greater the demands, the more important it is to prioritize. Use the bigger picture to identify high-value activities and look for tasks that can be delegated, postponed, or eliminated. Managers can assist with prioritizing, but self-triage and articulate your prioritization perspective to demonstrate initiative and strategic thinking.
Purpose. Campaign staffers are by and large motivated by the belief that electing their candidate will serve the greater good. Folks in start-ups often bring a variety of motivations – whether it is the transformative power of the product they are working on or the excitement and potential of building and scaling a business. Purpose is grounded in our core values and can also be highly personal, such as a yearning for self-improvement or growth, or the desire to have an impact on an organization or on the planet. In addition, staying connected to your purpose helps defend against creeping cynicism, a key elements of burnout. Whatever your purpose, you will find more fulfillment and thus derive more energy from a job where you can connect to either an organizational or personal mission.
By following these strategies—pacing, maintaining perspective, prioritizing effectively, and staying purpose-driven—individuals in high-pressure setups like campaigns and startups can thrive under intense demands. These principles foster resilience, minimize burnout, and enhance overall job satisfaction, increasing efficacy and fulfillment in challenging environments.