Pressure doesn’t create leadership—it exposes it.

In this first episode of IN THE BLACK, David Burnell examines what happens when stress rises, performance degrades, and leaders are forced to operate without certainty. Drawing from firsthand experience in post-tsunami Japan and other high-stress operational environments, this episode explores how real leadership stabilizes teams rather than reacting to chaos.

Pressure Reveals breaks down why panic-driven action often causes more damage than deliberate restraint, why fundamentals matter more than tactics under stress, and how clarity can exist even when visibility does not. This episode challenges the instinct to act prematurely and reframes stillness as a disciplined leadership choice when information is incomplete.

This episode establishes the first core principle of the series: leaders are not defined by calm conditions, but by how they respond when plans break and pressure mounts.

Future episodes will expand these principles into practical applications for business leaders—

covering team stability, decision-making under uncertainty, adaptability without chaos, and leading when responsibility remains but clarity is limited.

Find this and other episodes from the Echo Valor Podcast by searching “Echo Valor Podcast” on your favorite podcast platform. You can also discover original music by searching “Echo Valor Music” on your favorite streaming platform, and explore books and written works by searching “David Burnell” on Amazon to visit his author page.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit echovalor.substack.com