I was in London recently, attending a strategic meeting and sharing ideas with a protégé, when they leaned in and asked me a question that caught me off guard.

“Are you on blood pressure medication?”

I laughed, perhaps a little too quickly, before answering, “No.”

They nodded, considering the response before asking the real question beneath the surface. “So how do you do it?”

It was an honest inquiry, not just about stress management but about the larger, unspoken burden that comes with leadership, ambition, and responsibility. At first, I gave the usual answer—It’s second nature. I don’t have to think about managing stress; I see every challenge as an opportunity. And for years, I believed that. But later, as I reflected on the conversation, I realized the truth is far more complex.

Leadership, entrepreneurship, growth—whatever path one chooses—inevitably comes with its share of challenges. There is no path to success that doesn’t involve moments of pressure, doubt, or uncertainty. What separates those who thrive from those who falter is not the absence of difficulty but the ability to navigate it without losing perspective.

The Reality of Entrepreneurship

Whether you’re a parent, leading a company, managing a team, or building a personal brand, the journey comes with an increasing scale of interactions, expectations, and decisions. You don’t exist in a vacuum. The more you engage with the world—through partnerships, collaborations, negotiations—the more you become a part of an intricate web of relationships, responsibilities, and, inevitably, challenges.

The visibility that comes with growth naturally attracts attention—sometimes admiration, sometimes criticism, and sometimes scrutiny that is neither fair nor entirely accurate. This isn’t unique to business; it’s true for anyone stepping into a position of greater responsibility. Entrepreneurs experience it. Public figures experience it. Even those quietly excelling in their careers experience it within their own circles.

These challenges are not necessarily deliberate acts of opposition or resistance; they are simply part of the natural friction that comes with ambition and leadership. The structures we engage with—legal systems, financial markets, business partnerships, even personal relationships—are not static. They evolve, they get tested, and they require constant navigation.

One of the hardest lessons to learn is that these challenges are not about you personally. They are simply the byproduct of being active in a space where multiple interests, perspectives, and objectives exist. The moment you accept this, it becomes easier to move forward without resentment or unnecessary emotional weight.

Progress Without Breaking

There’s an old saying: _You can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs_ . The essence of that phrase is not about destruction, but about transformation. Growth—whether personal, professional, or societal—comes from testing boundaries, from pushing limits, from engaging with the world in a way that forces adaptation and progress.

That doesn’t mean seeking conflict or thriving on stress. It means understanding that as you grow, the frameworks around you—business, political, financial, social—will inevitably be tested. Contracts will be reviewed, policies will shift, partnerships will change. Not because anyone is out to get you, but because that is the nature of a dynamic, evolving world.

So, the real challenge is not avoiding stress or setbacks, but learning how to handle them constructively. It’s about developing the ability to stay level-headed in situations that demand urgency. It’s about maintaining a vision that extends beyond the immediate issue in front of you. It’s about having the patience to let things unfold, to make informed decisions rather than reactive ones.

One of the most valuable mindsets in leadership is recognizing that every challenge, every moment of difficulty, presents an opportunity to refine your approach. Some obstacles force you to rethink your strategy. Some reveal weaknesses that need to be addressed. Some create unexpected openings for growth. But only if you choose to see them that way.

The Shared Experience of Leadership

Everyone, regardless of their position or industry, experiences moments where they feel tested. It’s easy to assume that others have it easier, that their path has been smoother, but the truth is, no one operates without resistance.

The lawyers in court know that the strength of their case isn’t just about the facts but about how they present them. The entrepreneur launching a business knows that success isn’t just about the product but about how well they adapt to market shifts. The executive making high-stakes decisions understands that every choice will be scrutinized, debated, and at times, misunderstood.

This is not a flaw in the system; it’s simply how things work. And the moment we accept this, we stop seeing challenges as unfair and start seeing them as part of the process.

At the heart of it all is one universal truth: progress requires resilience. Not in the sense of enduring suffering for the sake of it, but in the sense of remaining clear-headed in the face of inevitable challenges. It means knowing when to push forward, when to step back, and when to simply let things play out.

A Balanced Perspective

If there is one thing I have learned, it is that leadership is not about avoiding challenges—it is about managing them in a way that allows you to keep moving forward without losing your center.

It is about maintaining perspective, recognizing that friction is a natural part of growth, and understanding that no one is immune to setbacks. It is about choosing to engage with the world in a way that acknowledges its complexities without being overwhelmed by them.

So when I think back to that conversation in London, when I was asked how I manage stress, I realize now that the answer is simple: I do not try to avoid it. I do not try to fight it. I acknowledge it, I work with it, and I move forward.

Because in the end, success is not measured by the absence of challenges but by the ability to sail through them with clarity, resilience, and purpose.