The Three Anchors Every Founder Needs to Stay Steady in the Storm
Have you felt the storm lately? The swirl of fear, indecision and uncertainty driven by the headlines designed to trigger your fight, flight or freeze response. In the middle of the storm, there you stand: trying to make decisions, staving off the isolation of leadership, and that constant, nagging question: Am I strong enough to carry this?
If you’re a founder, owner, or leader at an inflection point, you already know the truth: growth isn’t just about strategy. It’s about staying whole while steering the ship.
This month, let’s break this down into three anchors that can keep you steady, tools I’ve used myself, and have seen transform overwhelmed entrepreneurs into grounded, confident navigators of their own lives.
1. Embodied Presence Practices
A ship without a keel drifts. A leader without presence tips into burnout. What matters isn’t another productivity hack. What matters is remembering that your nervous system is your true operating system.
This has been a mainstay of practice of mine for years, ever since my friend, the incomparable Bob Souillere, taught it to me before I dipped into the ice bath:
Your breath is the remote control for your nervous system.
You can flip from your sympathetic nervous system operating (ie fight, flight or freeze) to parasympathetic (rest and digest) with conscious control of your breath.
The True North move is the physiological sigh, as taught in this video from Dr Andrew Huberman:
Reduce Anxiety and Stress with the Physiological Sigh (Andrew Huberman)
I use the physiological sigh all the time when I need to shift down a gear and get my thinking brain back online. Unlike mediation or other reset practices, you can practice this one anytime, anywhere, even when you are walking to a stressful meeting.
True North move #2 is box breathing, a technique that is a central part of Navy SEAL training.
Box breathing is so absolutely simple:
Inhale: 4 counts
Hold: 4 counts
Exhale: 4 counts
Hold: 4 counts
Repeat for 10 minutes and enjoy the feeling of being grounded and in control when you are done.
Click here for a guided box breathing session from Kitaro Waga I have used multiple times.
Guided Box Breathing with Theta-Waves to Wind-Down
Daily presence resets like the physiological sigh and box breathing shift not only how you feel, but how you lead.
Here’s the key thing to remember: when you align your BEing, clarity follows.
2. Peer Processing & Community
As leaders, we can often feel like we are walking alone across a foggy ridge, unsure about the path ahead. The weight of decisions, the silence of no one to talk to, the nagging loneliness.
What if, instead, you sat by a campfire with others on the same trail? Spaces designed for vulnerability and shared reflection—whether in a barn, a circle, or a call—dissolve isolation and build resilience.
Entrepreneurs don’t just need advice. They need to be seen.
True North tip #3: Vistage or ProVisor networking groups can provide a peer-to-peer environment where you can process what’s going on in your life, with others on the same journey as you. I belong to both groups, and am happy to talk with you if you are interested in joining one. True North tip #4: Hire a coach! A few years ago Lewis Howes sat down with EOS’s creator, Gino Wickman and they talked about the entrepreneurial journey.
In that interview Lewis said something that has stuck with me ever since:
“The greatest athletes in the world, they don’t stop with one coach. They keep hiring better coaches to refine their skills, to give them feedback, to help them see their blind spots. That’s why they stay great.”
Source: DO THIS With Your Money To Build Wealth & NEVER GO BROKE | Gino Wickman & Lewis Howes: LINK
Who would you have to BE to see yourself as that great athlete? Who would you have to BE to take action FOR yourself?
3. Identity-to-Action Frameworks
Storms aren’t only about weather. They’re about direction. Many founders I meet keep circling around, unsure of the next move.
The solution isn’t more tactics, it’s identity alignment.
Who you are BEing makes the path obvious.
Once you see it, you can shift one inner stance, set one operating rule, and structure your team so execution flows.
True North tip #5: BE the bison and head into the storm. It is well-documented that bison turn and head into storms rather than away from them. Observations and accounts from the Great Plains indicate that, unlike cattle which try to flee from approaching storms and end up spending more time caught up in them, bison actually move directly toward and through the storm. This behavior significantly reduces the amount of time they spend in harsh weather conditions. Right now, I see so many leaders paralysed by the headlines and unable to make the decisions they need to make for their greater good, and the greater good of their business. Turn off those headline notifications, put your head down and turn into the storm. We will get through it quicker, together.
Shifting your inner mental stance and BEing the bison is THE mindset for these times.
Stop Circling. Reset Your Compass.
If you’re a visionary business owner or driven professional, you know what it feels like to build the business everyone else admires… while quietly feeling drained, stuck, or unclear about what’s next.
That’s the Crossroads.
I’ve created a simple way forward: The True North Plan: See → Shift → Structure.
See where your clarity, energy, and time are leaking.
Shift into the identity that unlocks new decisions and momentum.
Structure simple rhythms and roles to get the coherent, authentic life you want.
This isn’t about working harder or squeezing out marginal gains. It’s about resetting your compass so you can grow your life and your business without losing yourself.
🧭 If this resonates, I invite you to a From Vision to Land Session: a focused 90 minutes to reset your compass and map your next move.
Book your session → Calendly
A Closing Thought
Each of us deserves to feel clear, calm, and capable of steering our own ship. These three anchors—Presence, Community, and Identity-to-Action—aren’t luxuries. They are the essentials of sustainable self-leadership and business leadership.
So ask yourself: Which anchor do you need to strengthen right now?
(And if you’re tired of circling, I can help you set your compass heading and make a move in a straight line.)