Feel Pressure, Apply Pressure ⇪

Our aim at Athena is to help you achieve more by becoming an advanced delegator.

In each issue of our newsletter you’ll get unique delegation tips, including:

• Level Up → Feel Pressure, Apply Pressure

• Delegate This → Health Appointment SOPs

LEVEL UP

Feel Pressure → Apply Pressure

Things go wrong all the time: a new hire is underwhelming, you aren't hitting your growth metrics, someone you're relying on doesn't show up, the hotel double booked your room even though you confirmed it before arriving.

As a leader, your instinct is often to jump in and fix problems yourself, especially when they matter most. But here's a subtle yet extraordinarily powerful principle: whenever you feel pressure, apply pressure.

The key is to apply pressure to the person who is essentially letting you down:

• Nanny who bails last minute → Have them find their replacement.

• Hotel doesn't have your reservation → Let the manager fix the problem.

• Underwhelming new hire → Share what "excellence" looks like, instill your belief in them to resolve the issue, and make sure they understand that the pressure is on them to fix it.

If direct pressure doesn't work, your second line of defense is to get your executive assistant involved in the fix.

Applying pressure is a delegation skill that evolves over time:

1. Beginner delegators → Feel pressure and problem-solve themselves.

2. Intermediate delegators → Feel pressure and become the quarterback managing how the problem is solved.

3. Advanced delegators → Feel pressure and apply pressure.

Advanced delegators have mastered the art of managing their state throughout the day. They've moved beyond stress, constriction, and time scarcity. When they feel pressure (cognitively, physically, etc) they immediately act to preserve their flow state and creativity.

DELEGATE THIS

Health Appointment SOPs | Playbook Here

Arif Bhanji, an Athena member, used to hate going to the doctor. It wasn’t because of the appointment itself but rather the hours it sapped out of his day — not to mention the endless forms, waiting rooms, and the hassle of forgotten instructions or prescriptions.

One day, after wasting an entire morning on a basic checkup, he thought “delegation works for everything else — why not my healthcare?”

He no longer touches anything on the admin-side of his appointments. His assistant books the first available slot of the day (to avoid delays), fills out forms, and adds his insurance info right on his Gcal invite. Lastly, she calls the office to ensure they’re running on time on the morning of the appointment.

While he’s there, he takes photos of paperwork from the doctor. His assistant is already updating his records, booking follow-ups, and tracking prescriptions by the time he leaves the office.

He simply walks in and walks out afterwards. No wasted hours. Just efficient, stress-free healthcare.

If you’re still losing time on your appointments, stop now. Delegate the hassle. We wrote a playbook to help.

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