Doug NollI'm called in when human dynamics are getting in the way of strategic leadership execution.

Stop Telling Employees to Calm Down and Say This

21 Jan 2026 · 1 min

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Doug Noll shows managers what to say instead of telling employees to calm down. Reflect their emotional state with a calm tone: "You're feeling overwhelmed right now, which is understandable." This makes people feel heard and helps them settle.

Chapters

You're doing leadership wrong if you tell your employees to calm down. See, if you want to create psychological safety among your employees, don't go offering advice or solving problems. Instead, reflect on the emotional data with a calm tone. Here's what helps. Instead of saying, "Calm down and do this," say, "You're feeling overwhelmed right now at this moment, which is understandable." And you'll see the magic this one sentence creates. It makes them feel heard and their nervous system settles down. Comment calm. And I'll share the method I teach leaders to handle emotional moments.