Nothing establishes trust more effectively than the emotional connection fostered through empathy and shared humanity. This is why being open about your own anxiety can be so powerful. It builds trust when you can ask teammates, “How are you?” and they don’t feel as if they have to lie or put on a happy face.

So many of us act out our anxiety in ways that frustrate our colleagues. We micromanage, or we overwork, or, as my guest today points out, we’re inconsistent in our attitude and feedback, which can send our teams into a rollercoaster of uncertainty. Micromanaging, inconsistent feedback, overwork: All of these are traits no one wants in their manager!

Here’s the thing: staying mentally healthy is a commitment. If you’re someone who has struggled with a mental health disorder, the fear of a recurrence is always present and so you build infrastructure to stay well: this could be therapy, medication, exercise, spiritual or religious practice, trusted peers.

I believe anxiety can be a gift. I believe it’s a leadership superpower. Now I don’t want to sugarcoat anything. Living with anxiety is hard; I know. If you learn to understand and manage your anxiety you’ll decipher what it’s trying to tell you, manage how you respond to anxious feelings, and channel anxiety’s creative energy and drive.

Morra speaks with Guy Raz from NPR’s How I Build This. On his podcast they talk about how to build resilience into your business during this very challenging year.

Morra writes about inspiring others when you’re struggling yourself. You can read the article on The Harvard Business Review website.

Morra wrote an article for The New York Times. In the article she wrote about how it’s tough to be an introvert in a world that equates success with performing. Here's how to change the way you work while staying true to you.