Early on as a founder, I learned that sharing the pressure I was under had a negative impact on my team’s productivity. Financial information in an early stage company should come with a health warning. You need to understand the financial position of the business you’re running without obsessing over it. In my first business in my 20s, I allowed the strain of financial uncertainty to overwhelm me to the point of sabotaging the business. A valuable lesson that underpinned the success of future businesses: Cash flow matters enormously, but so does protecting your ability to believe in the vision and purpose while navigating the numbers.

When I first heard the phrase “toxic positivity,” it seemed like an oxymoron. But I understand the pressure to present a rosy picture of how a business is developing in order to secure the funds to make it happen. Founders must communicate possibility while living with uncertainty. That includes presenting a calm, positive face to your team. After all, your mood is their weather forecast.

Many leaders fail to understand that management starts with managing themselves. Often they simply don’t have the tools to do so. They don’t want to infect their team with their stress, but the pileup of negative information, such as an investor pulling out or a key customer choosing a competitor, shakes their calm. When you hold everything inside for a long time, you eventually crack. This takes a toll on you as well as your team.

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