What’s the most pressure you’ve ever been under? How did you react? What helped? What didn’t?

For more than five years, Dane Jensen has asked these questions of thousands of high performers—from Olympic gold medalists to navy SEALS, politicians, executives and busy parents. What has emerged from these conversations is that while everyone’s experiences under pressure are unique, pressure follows patterns and develops in predictable ways. If we can recognize the patterns, we can improve our ability to sidestep the biological traps that can sabotage us—and use the energy that accompanies pressure to thrive.

In The Power of Pressure, Jensen combines the insights gathered from his work with the latest research in biology and neuroscience to help you nail the moments that matter and maintain energy and motivation through the pressures of day-to-day life.

DANE JENSEN is the CEO of Third Factor, an instructor at the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University and affiliate faculty with the UNC Executive Development program at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At Third Factor, he works to help leaders be more effective, creative and resilient under pressure. His work has spanned twenty-three countries on six continents. In addition to his corporate work, Dane works extensively with athletes, coaches, leaders and boards across Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic sport system to enhance national competitiveness. Dane Jensen lives in Toronto. Visit him at thirdfactor.com

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"In a noisy world where high-quality ideas really matter, I’m happy to discover Dane Jensen. The Power of Pressure is well timed, illuminating, and practical. You’ll learn how to nail the moments that matter—and you’ll also manage pressure to your benefit over the long term. Both skillsets are required of enduring leaders. Once you become a standout, you can teach Dane’s ‘pressure management’ to your people and gain an unassailable advantage for your organization." — Dorie Clark, adjunct professor at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, executive education faculty, and author of Stand Out

“Imagine what you could accomplish if you could disarm your biggest pressures—then put their energy to work. Dane Jensen shows how in this timely book. Relentless pressures are here to stay. Get fresh advice from The Power of Pressure, for the next crisis or for your long-term performance.”
— Amy Edmondson, Novartis professor of leadership and management at Harvard Business School

“I wish I could have read this when I was starting out. Dane Jensen has created an invaluable formula for understanding pressure and using it to drive innovation and overcome challenges. The Power of Pressure is an invaluable field guide to the age of pressure for the next generation of global leaders.”
— Dr. Kevin Frey, CEO, Generation Unlimited

“Entertaining and insightful! Dane Jensen has disproven the notion that the only thing to be done about pressure is to cope with it. The Power of Pressure demonstrates how pressure can be transformed into growth. It lays out an easy-to-follow framework that is helpful to experienced and emerging leaders alike. A great resource for anyone who wants to excel under pressure.” — Steven Goldbach, chief strategy officer, Deloitte

“Insightful! The Power of Pressure will teach you to watch for the patterns and traps that hold you back from achieving your highest potential. Dane Jensen has provided the keys to lowering stress and freeing yourself to enjoy life!” — Marshall Goldsmith, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Triggers, Mojo, and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

“Dane Jensen has already provided great help, wisdom, and insight to me and our staff at Canada Basketball—from working on our strategic planning to resilience training. Now, The Power of Pressure provides all of us with key learnings, strategies, and techniques to deal with the pressures we all face. Dane’s guidance can help make us more resilient, happier, and productive.” — Glen Grunwald, CEO, Canada Basketball, and former general manager of the Toronto Raptors and the New York Knicks

“Dane Jensen’s book drills down to how we act when the heat’s on high— because how we manage our peak-pressure moments makes all the difference. Dane’s reader-friendly framework keeps everything simple. His research is fresh. And his inspiring stories help put best-in-class outcomes within reach again and again. No doubt, The Power of Pressure will be a game-changer for so many.” — Matt Higgins, chairman and CEO, Omnichannel Acquisition Corp., and co-founder and CEO, RSE Ventures

“A leader’s quest for impact begins inside. That’s why I’m fired up about The Power of Pressure. Dane Jensen uses personal stories, brain/body research, and pressure-treated advice to demonstrate how to manage all kinds of forces to your benefit. The book is a remarkably useful guide for anyone looking to transform their leadership practice.” — Alden Mills, Inc. 500 CEO, Navy seal, and author of Unstoppable Teams

“I’ve studied leadership for years, and I can tell you Dane Jensen’s The Power of Pressure is pure leadership alchemy. Dane is one of the first thought leaders to truly elaborate on the full value of pressure. He shares conversations with some of our most remarkable leaders about how pressure enhances their performance, and that’s gold in our pres- sure-packed world. Dane also shows us how to handle pressure the right way—not only to drive results but to improve the lives of those we lead. The Power of Pressure is a must-read for what we are likely going to call ‘our new decade of pressure.’” — Thomas A. Kolditz, PhD; brigadier general, USA (ret.); professor emeritus, West Point; founding director of Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University; and author of In Extremis Leadership and Leadership Reckoning

“This is the best book I’ve read on pressure and performance. If you want to win a championship, it’s not enough to just handle pressure. You need to use pressure to get better every day. The Power of Pressure lays out a clear set of tactics to help you use pressure as an advantage. If you’re on the lookout for practical ways to up your game when it matters most— read this book.” — Nick Nurse, head coach of the NBA championship-winning Toronto Raptors

“A phenomenal read! The Power of Pressure is a truly unique view of what it takes to rise to the demands life places upon us. Dane Jensen has taken the bold stance that pressure is something that can be enjoyed. He’s backed it up with compelling research and brought it to life through vivid and fascinating storytelling. I can’t wait to see what the next generation of Olympians will achieve with this book in their arsenal.” — David Shoemaker, CEO and secretary general, Canadian Olympic Committee

“The Power of Pressure is a brilliant read that captures the essence of pressure and offers expert advice for using it to fuel performance. Read this book. It will make you better at nailing the moments that matter, and for navigating a high-pressure life over the long haul.” — Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser, OC, four-time Olympic gold medalist and Hockey Hall of Fame inductee

“This book comes at the perfect time! Our clients’ demand for skills to navigate pressure has never been higher—and The Power of Pressure has answered their call. Dane Jensen turns stress management on its head and transforms pressure from something to endure into something that drives you.” — Dave Roberts, president, UNC Executive Development

“The Power of Pressure is grounded in research, full of useful tools, and packed full of riveting stories that bring the concepts to life. Dane Jensen’s approach to pressure has benefited thousands of our students and his wisdom shines through here.” — Elspeth Murray, associate dean of MBA and masters programs at the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University

“If higher performance and personal growth matter to you, this is your roadmap. In The Power of Pressure, he lays out three forces that can set you up for your personal best. He shows how we can capitalize on pressure’s pure energy. It will help to lead you and others forward to a better life. Unleash the Power of Pressure in your life!” — Chester Elton, bestselling author of The Carrot Principle, All In, and Anxiety at Work

“Dane Jensen’s easy-to-grasp framework shows how to convert the powers of pressure from detriments into assets that enhance performance in all parts of life. His advice is fresh and his terrific storytelling sheds new light on how to cope with the demands of our pressure-packed world. Read The Power of Pressure to help you lead with greater success and less stress.” — Stew Friedman, The Wharton School, bestselling author of Total Leadership

“Dane put a lot of pressure on me to write this testimonial. Fortunately, I use the techniques taught in this wonderful book and handle pressure well. So here’s the damn testimonial.” — David Chilton, bestselling author of The Wealthy Barber and former dragon on Dragons’ Den

“The most effective crisis leaders I work with through Harvard’s National Preparedness Leadership Initiative have learned to thrive under pressure. In The Power of Pressure, Dane Jensen explains why. It is a matter of under- standing yourself and how to shape your relationship with pressure in order to reap its benefits without succumbing to its traps. Through inspiring stories and approachable interpretations of psychology and neuro- science, Jensen explains how to use pressure to foster high performance without burning yourself—and others—out. This is essential reading for those called upon to lead when everything is on the line.” — Eric J. McNulty, crisis leadership expert and co-author of You’re It: Crisis, Change, and How to Lead When It Matters Most

"The Power of Pressure is a smart look at how it wields its power over us, but also how it unleashes your potential. This timely book—shows how you can set yourself up to be your most productive, most successful, and also least stressed self by turning the pressure you feel into an advantage." — David Burkus, Thinkers50 ranked thought leader and bestselling author of Leading from Anywhere