Top founders don't simply "tough it out" or present a stoic front. They actively manage the immense stress of their role through practices like therapy and setting boundaries. Suppressing emotions leads to burnout, whereas processing them leads to resilience and better decision-making for the entire team.

Founder Alex Marechniak stepped down as CEO not from a lack of skill, but because personal crises and burnout depleted his capacity. He recognized that leadership requires being "fully in the game," and transparently told his board he wasn't, prioritizing the company's health over his ego.

Facing a down year, Lindsay Carter put her ego aside and called trusted industry contacts for help. This simple act provided concrete, tactical advice—like using new AI tools and auditing marketing funnels—that gave the company an immediate boost and catalyzed its recovery. Asking for help was a critical strategic lever, not a sign of weakness.

Joan Barnes attributes her ability to navigate early challenges, like single-handedly writing her own franchise legal documents, to youthful ignorance. Without knowing how hard it was supposed to be, she just assumed she could figure it out, and did.

When co-founder Todd Carmichael faced severe burnout and offered to give up his shares, his partner J.P. Iberti refused. Instead, he encouraged a three-month sabbatical to recover, prioritizing his partner's health over the business. This act of trust and support was crucial for their long-term success.

Instead of tightening control during a crisis, CEO Jada McKenna deliberately handed off critical decisions to team members who weren't as involved in the initial trauma of layoffs. This strategy diffused leadership away from the most exhausted executives, giving them a needed break and preventing deeper burnout.

While Gymboree was a media darling, founder Joan Barnes was crumbling internally. The pressure of a failing business model and keeping up appearances led to an eating disorder and panic attacks, forcing her to step away for intensive treatment.

After the successful retail pivot, Joan Barnes recognized her strengths were in vision and creation, not in scaling operations. She understood the company needed a different type of leader for the next phase and was willing to step aside.

Dr. Sabrina Starling's team instantly took over her podcast after a personal tragedy, achieving an outcome planned to take 18 months. This reveals that the biggest barriers to delegation are often mental constructs, not practical limitations.