The Trust Barrier: Why Leaders Struggle to Let Go

Erica Kesse


What separates thriving leaders from those just getting by? A bold, clear, and actionable vision—paired with the ability to trust others to help bring that vision to life.


Your vision isn’t just a statement—it’s the foundation of your organization’s future. It defines the impact you’ll make, the legacy you’ll leave, and the path to your goals. But without trust, even the best vision can fall flat.

Many CEOs and leaders hesitate to delegate, not because they lack vision, but because trust feels risky. Maybe you’ve been let down before. Maybe you believe no one else can handle things quite like you do.


This constant need for control? It’s often a response to past experiences—your mind protecting you from the unknown. That’s where the "From Trauma to Trust" Intensive comes in.


This transformative program helps leaders shift from a "survivor mind" to a "thriving mind." It starts by recognizing how past challenges shape your leadership style. Do any of these sound familiar?


How Trauma Responses Show Up in Leadership

  1. Fight: The Overworker & Perfectionist
  • How It Shows Up: You push through at all costs, refusing to slow down. You take on too much, micromanage, or struggle to trust your team to deliver results.

  • Signs: Burnout, exhaustion, headaches, frustration, and a tendency to control every detail.

  • Impact: You may see short-term success, but long-term, this leads to stress, resentment, and an unsustainable work environment.

  • Shift to Thriving: Learn to delegate, set boundaries, and trust that you don’t have to do everything alone.

2. Flight: The Avoider

  • How It Shows Up: You avoid conflict, tough decisions, or high-pressure situations. You may jump from one idea to another, constantly searching for the "next thing" instead of facing challenges head-on.

  • Signs: Procrastination, over-researching, perfectionism, or busyness without real progress.

  • Impact: Your vision stays stuck in planning mode instead of turning into reality. Fear of failure keeps you from taking action.

  • Shift to Thriving: Learn to embrace discomfort, take imperfect action, and develop resilience by facing challenges instead of running from them.

3️⃣ Freeze: The Overthinker & Procrastinator

  • How It Shows Up: You feel stuck, overwhelmed by decisions, and unable to move forward. You might analyze every possible outcome, leading to paralysis and inaction.

  • Signs: Indecision, second-guessing, procrastination, and self-doubt.

  • Impact: You spend so much time thinking about the best move that you miss opportunities or delay critical decisions.

  • Shift to Thriving: Build decision-making confidence, break big goals into small steps, and take action even when you don’t have all the answers.

4️⃣ Flop: The Overwhelmed & Disengaged Leader

  • How It Shows Up: When things become too much, you shut down. You might feel disconnected, unmotivated, or emotionally drained. Instead of problem-solving, you withdraw.

  • Signs: Apathy, exhaustion, avoidance of work, feeling emotionally numb.

  • Impact: Your business, team, or vision suffers from lack of direction. You may feel like you’re "just going through the motions" rather than leading with passion.

  • Shift to Thriving: Reignite your purpose, reconnect with your vision, and develop strategies to prevent overwhelm before it leads to disengagement.

5️⃣ Fawn: The People-Pleaser

  • How It Shows Up: You prioritize making others happy over making necessary decisions. You struggle to say no, avoid setting boundaries, and may take on responsibilities that aren’t yours.

  • Signs: Overcommitting, apologizing frequently, agreeing to things out of guilt, and feeling resentful afterward.

  • Impact: Your leadership lacks authority because you’re too focused on keeping the peace instead of making bold decisions. This can also lead to burnout and loss of personal power.

  • Shift to Thriving: Learn to set firm boundaries, communicate assertively, and lead with confidence—even when it’s uncomfortable.


The Power of Intensive Leadership Growth

The Intensives program helps you break free from automatic stress responses and build healthier coping mechanisms.

For example, if you tend to fight through everything, you might experience burnout, negative self-talk, and emotional exhaustion. Instead of pushing harder, Intensives teaches you to pause, reset, and operate from a place of clarity and balance.

What You Gain from the Intensives Program

By participating, you will:

✅ Gain clarity on your next steps without second-guessing yourself.
✅ Build resilience and confidence as a recognized leader in your industry.
✅ Create harmony between your personal and professional life.

This is your opportunity to step into thriving leadership, where you lead with vision, trust, and confidence.

Wellbeing at Work: Why Purpose (Mission) is the Ultimate Buffer Against Burnout

By Erica Kesse • January 23, 2026
Why can a CEO work 80 hours a week on a passion project and feel energized, but 40 hours on a meaningless task feels draining? The answer lies in Purpose . Research shows that connecting work to a higher Mission is one of the strongest buffers against burnout. If you are worried about the mental health of your leadership team, look at your Mission statement first. The "Why" Matters More Than the "What" "Quiet quitting" and executive burnout often stem from a sense of futility. Weak Mission: "We want to increase Q3 profits." (High stress, low fulfillment). Strong Mission: "We exist to save our home planet." (Patagonia). (High effort, high fulfillment).  Leadership Resilience For a CEO, the Mission is the fuel tank. When times get tough, profit goals won't keep you warm. Only a deep belief in why you exist can sustain your wellbeing through a crisis.

Mental Health in the C-Suite: Why Shared Vision Creates Safer Workplaces

By Erica Kesse • January 16, 2026
A toxic work environment is rarely intentional. It usually grows in the vacuum of a clear Vision. When people don't know where the company is going, they become territorial, political, and anxious. For leadership, solving this isn't just about HR policies; it's about painting a clear picture of the future. A shared Vision is a cornerstone of psychological safety. Uncertainty vs. Wellbeing Human beings crave certainty. In the absence of a clear Vision: Employees worry about their job security. Managers hoard information. CEOs feel isolated. This environment destroys wellbeing. However, when the Vision ("The Summit") is clear, the team focuses on the climb rather than fighting each other. The "Mars Group" Therapy Running a visioning exercise (like the "Mars Group" framework) is surprisingly therapeutic. It allows the team to detach from daily stressors and reconnect with why they do the work. It shifts the collective mindset from "survival mode" to "creation mode." A clear Vision doesn't just drive profit; it lowers cortisol. It unifies the tribe and makes the workplace a safer space to be.

The CEO Wellbeing Hack: How a Clear Mission Cures Decision Fatigue Introduction

By Erica Kesse • January 9, 2026
The average CEO makes thousands of decisions a week. By 3:00 PM, "decision fatigue" sets in, leading to poor judgment, irritability, and declining wellbeing. The most effective way to protect your mental health isn't a vacation; it's a decision-making filter. That is exactly what a strong Mission statement provides. The Mission as a Filter A well-crafted Mission statement allows you to automate decisions. Does this opportunity fit our Mission? No? Discard it immediately. (Zero mental energy used). Yes? Explore it. Without this filter, every decision—big or small—requires deep cognitive processing. This leads to brain fog and the feeling of being "always on." Protecting Your "Head Space" Leadership is about allocating resources, and your most precious resource is your attention. A clear Mission empowers your team to make decisions without you. Before: "Boss, should we do this?" (Stress on you). After: "I declined this because it didn't fit our Mission." (Peace for you).
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