Maxwell Leadership Executive Podcast

Episode #388: How to Eliminate Stress
Host: Perry Holley and Chris Cody
Date: March 19, 2026

Overview

This episode of the Maxwell Leadership Executive Podcast dives deep into the topic of stress elimination for leaders. Perry Holley and Chris Cody dissect the sources of stress, practical strategies to reduce it, and how leaders can intentionally design their days for calm and clarity—rather than simply reacting to daily pressures. Drawing from thought leaders such as Travis Bradbury, George Stern, David Allen, and John Maxwell himself, the hosts offer actionable insights for reducing stress not just for yourself, but for your team as well.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Nature of Stress in Leadership (00:54 – 02:55)

• Source of Stress: Stress doesn’t come from the amount of work, but from the friction and constant switching between tasks.
• Leadership Issue: "If your calendar is packed, like each one of us are, then so is your nervous system. And so...it's a leadership issue, it's not your personality issue." (Chris Cody, 01:31)
• John Maxwell Principle: "You don’t manage time, you manage your priorities."

Memorable Quote:
"You can't just be reactive. The more reactive you are, the more stress you're going to feel."
— Perry Holley (02:49)

2. Three Key Frames for Understanding Stress (02:25 – 03:59)

• Calm is Designed, Not Reactive: Calm leaders plan ahead rather than try to manage stress in the moment.
• Stress Comes from Friction, Not Workload: Rush transitions and decision fatigue create stress, not just the volume of work.
• White Space is a Leadership Signal: Protecting margin in your calendar communicates boundaries, control, and long-term thinking.

Memorable Quote:
"Calm leaders aren’t doing less, they’re just switching less... That’s where stress lives."
— Perry Holley (02:56)

3. Practical Secrets of (Seemingly) Stressless People (04:06 – 20:17)

1. Prep the Night Before (04:07)

• Preparation vs. Repair: "You’re either preparing or repairing." (John Maxwell, quoted by Chris Cody, 04:49)
• Plan for meetings and responsibilities in advance to avoid last-minute chaos.

2. Arrive Early (05:26)

• Reduces stress by giving time to settle and adapt: "When you're prepared and you're early, calm comes in." (Perry Holley, 06:34)

3. Schedule What Matters (07:10)

• Block time for important tasks, including downtime and project work.
• "If it's not on your calendar, it's probably not actually a priority." (Chris Cody, 07:23)

4. Reset Quickly (09:00)

• Find ways to decompress when stress spikes—like taking walks, breaks, or quiet time.

5. Keep One List (10:27)

• Consolidate all tasks into one place to avoid mental clutter: "Your brain is created to help solve problems and to creatively think. It's not created to store a ton of information."
  — Chris Cody (11:18)

6. Capture Your Inputs (11:32)

• Use tools (electronic or paper) to ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
• "Trying to remember things is dangerous because it adds stress...your brain keeps going on it until you say, I'm writing it down."
  — Perry Holley (12:30)

7. Choose Your Top Three (and One Must) (13:07)

• Set clear daily priorities—three key tasks and one absolute must.
• "Most of my days fall apart because I've just had way too much to do…and then I get to the end of the day and I don't really even feel like I completed anything."
  — Chris Cody (13:20)

8. Sync Your Calendars (17:40)

• Align personal and work commitments to prevent conflicts and surprises.
• Suggests "Sunday night calendar talks" with family for better coordination. (Perry Holley, 18:27)

9. Protect Deep Work (16:27)

• Block and defend time for strategic or creative work that only you can do.
• "If I go throughout my day and I'm just doing the busy work...I'm like, what? When do you do your deep work?"
  — Perry Holley (17:24)

10. Discipline Over Simplicity (20:17)

• The steps are simple in theory, but not easy in practice—require continual attention and discipline.

Leadership Implications of Stress (07:44 – 09:03)

• Contagion Effect: Leaders’ stress is felt and mirrored by the team. Calm is contagious, but so is anxiety.
• Influence: "The reason I brought this is that I’m thinking so many people I’ve worked for over the years were hair on fire, out of control, and I was not influenced positive by that."
  — Perry Holley (07:54)
• Self-management and self-leadership are vital to positively influence others.

The Power of Clarity and Future Self (20:40 – 22:44)

• Clarity Over Chaos: When you have clarity on priorities and sources of stress, you can take preventive action.
• Design Flaw, Not a Badge of Honor: "A lot of times I think leaders feel like stress is a badge of honor. I got a lot going on, right? Like, no, it’s a design flaw or discipline that you don’t have."
  — Chris Cody (21:39)
• Encourage listeners to self-assess the 10 presented practices to root out unnecessary stress.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Preparation:
  "Are you repairing from all the things you didn’t do yesterday or preparing for what’s to come? ...Preparing for what’s to come is what helps bring the stress level down."
  — Perry Holley (05:17)

• On Prioritization:
  "This is the problem with these lists... they're not in priority order... when I have a moment, what should I do? I look over there. Do I go to the most important thing? No, I go to the easiest thing."
  — Perry Holley (14:56)

• On Self-Discipline:
  "It's simple stuff. It's not easy. And it requires a lot of discipline..."
  — Perry Holley (20:18)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:54 – Episode topic introduction and framing of stress as a leadership issue.
• 02:25 – Three core ideas about calm, stress, and margin.
• 04:07 – Practical secrets for eliminating stress begin.
• 07:44 – The effect of a leader’s stress on their influence and team culture.
• 09:00 – Techniques for resetting under stress.
• 13:07 – Setting priorities: the "Top Three and One Must" principle.
• 16:27 – Protecting deep work time.
• 17:40 – Calendar synchronization for personal and professional alignment.
• 20:17 – Discipline required to implement stress-reducing habits.
• 21:39 – Clarity, future self, and the fallacy of wearing stress as a badge of honor.

Summary Table: 10 Practical Secrets to Eliminate Stress

| # | Secret | Core Idea | Timestamp | |----|-------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|--------------| | 1 | Prep the night before | Preparation prevents a reactive, stressful day | 04:07 | | 2 | Arrive early | Reduces chaos and allows time for composure | 05:26 | | 3 | Schedule what matters | Block priorities—including downtime | 07:10 | | 4 | Reset quickly | Have routines to regain calm | 09:00 | | 5 | Keep one list | Capture all tasks in one place | 10:27 | | 6 | Capture your inputs | Write down everything to close mental loops | 11:32 | | 7 | Choose your top three (and one must)| Prioritize daily high-value actions | 13:07 | | 8 | Sync your calendars | Align commitments across all areas of life | 17:40 | | 9 | Protect deep work | Guard time for value-creating, non-delegable tasks | 16:27 | | 10 | Discipline over simplicity | These approaches require ongoing commitment | 20:17 |

Final Thoughts

• Leaders are responsible for designing their days in ways that proactively reduce stress.
• Stress is not a badge of honor but an indicator of needed discipline or redesign.
• Practical, consistent systems not only maintain your calm but positively influence your whole team.

Action Challenge:
"Go back through and figure out, man, where are the root causes of my stress, and how do I make some changes so that your future self will thank you for doing that."
— Chris Cody (22:23)

For more resources or the learner guide, visit:
maxwellleadership.com/executivepodcast