SUMMARY

What does it truly mean to be resilient? In this episode, GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft interviews top management thinker, organizational psychologist and self-awareness expert Dr. Tasha Eurich. Together they unpack Tasha’s latest book, Shatterproof, and discuss how leaders today—she calls them “stressed-out strivers”—can move beyond mere resilience and learn to thrive in our modern world.

IN THIS EPISODE

0:00 Intro

02:30 Tasha’s path to her work.

06:45 Helping people thrive in the midst of chaos.

08:15 Where did Tasha start her research?

13:45 A basic definition of “stress.”

14:50 How human beings typically respond to stress.

19:35 Is there a difference between stress and chaos?

22:30 What happens when someone hits their resilience ceiling?

28:35 Signs that someone has hit their resilience ceiling.

31:35 Can some people handle more stress than others?

33:30 Where does the idea of “burnout” fit into the discussion of resilience?

37:45 Practical tools that leaders can use to help their teams thrive.

39:45 Is our struggle with stress at work worse today than in the past?

40:15 What it means to “thrive” in the midst of chaos.

46:15 Outro

LISTEN

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STANDOUTS AND TAKEAWAYS

• At the end of the day, every interaction is about making the other person’s life just a little bit better.

• For “stressed out strivers,” chaos and stress come constantly and from all different angles.

• “Resilience” has its time and place, but it cannot be our only coping strategy.

• As humans, the real challenge for us is chronic stress across multiple areas of our lives.

• “Stress” can be any constraint that we are experiencing that we don’t have control over.

• Our bodies react to stress in two ways: fight/flight or freeze/faint.

• It is a myth that the more stress we encounter in life, the stronger we will be.

• Regardless of who they are, all achievers have a “resilient ceiling”: the moment that their resilience resources run out.

• Hitting your resilience ceiling and reacting badly does not mean you’re failure; you are merely experiencing your automatic responses to a world that our bodies were not designed to live in.

• There are three signs that indicate someone has hit their resilience ceiling:

1. 2. They’ve lost their “mojo,” or enthusiasm
   4. Little things feel big
   6. Our top tools to navigate stress are failing

• Even though some people can handle more stress than others, everyone has a limit.

• “Burnout” differs from hitting a resilience ceiling in that burnout tends to (a) be more directly associated with work; and (b) happens gradually over time.

• Human beings have three fundamental needs:

1. 2. Confidence/growth
   4. Choice/agency
   6. Connection/belonging

• Leaders should ask themselves, “What am I doing to fulfil or frustrate the three basic needs of my people?”

• Becoming “shatterproof” means going beyond “white knuckling” through tough moments to acknowledge our cracks and struggles and use them to point us towards how we can be stronger.

• True strength is not saying, “I’m not breaking.” It’s saying, “I’m breaking, and I’m going to use that to become the best version of myself.”

LINKS MENTIONED

• Book: Shatterproof: How to Thrive in a World of Constant Chaos (And Why Resilience Alone Isn’t Enough) (Amazon.com)

• Website: Tasha Eurich

• Website: www.Resilience.quiz.com

• Website: Harvard Business Review – Resiliency Resources

• Website: Team365

• Website: Global Leadership Summit 2025

• Website: Global Leadership Network