A leader under sustained pressure may find it harder to consider alternatives, sleep well or prepare carefully. Those changes matter without requiring a claim that the executive's brain has physically deteriorated by a known amount.
Research on stress uses different methods and populations. Its findings need to be kept distinct from an assessment of one person.
Start with what changed
Describe the work that has become difficult and when the change appeared. Consider the role's demands, available support, health and recent events. Avoid making cortisol the answer before the question has been investigated.
A missed decision can reflect inadequate information. A repeated conflict can reflect unclear authority. Persistent problems may have several contributing causes.
Address a demand the organization controls
Choose a recurring pressure that can be changed: an avoidable escalation, a late meeting pattern or a responsibility without a realistic resource allocation.
State what should improve if the change helps. Review the actual work rather than relying only on a general report of feeling better.
Where symptoms persist or functioning changes materially, obtain appropriate professional assessment. Business advice and clinical care have different purposes.
A careful explanation gives the leader more useful options than a dramatic account of hidden brain damage. It also makes it easier to judge whether the action taken has addressed the problem.
