# Heat Transfer _Pressure from above doesn't have to become pressure below._ --- When heat comes down from the board or your boss — a pointed question, a worried email, sudden scrutiny on something that wasn't a priority yesterday — there's a reflex. Call a meeting. Forward the email. Make sure the team knows this matters now. It looks like good management. Responsive, urgent, aligned. Everyone's aware, wheels are spinning, action is visible. But often what you've done is transfer anxiety, not direction. The team feels the pressure without knowing what to do with it. They start second-guessing priorities, reading tone, wondering what's really going on. Energy goes into worry, not work. The mature move is harder: absorb the heat, take a beat, work out what needs to change. Sometimes the answer is nothing — you just need to give them what they're missing, whether that's visibility, context, or a direct conversation. Sometimes something real needs to shift — but you've now got a clear ask, not a vague unease. This isn't about shielding your team from reality. They can handle pressure when it comes with direction. What they can't do is perform calm while sensing your anxiety leaking through. Next time heat comes down, give yourself an hour before deciding what your team needs to hear. Ask: what's the actual ask here? If you can't say it in one sentence, you're not ready to share it.