The headlines feel heavy right now.
Talk of a looming recession, shifting tariffs, and AI reshaping entire industries has leaders everywhere asking the same question: How do I keep my team motivated when the ground keeps moving beneath us?
Chantell Preston knows that feeling all too well.
She’s a serial entrepreneur, the founder and CEO of Preston Partners, host of the Get Real, Get Results podcast, and a TEDx speaker whose upcoming book challenges the biggest lies women have been told in life and business. She’s built and sold multimillion-dollar companies, navigated demanding leadership roles, and learned the hard way that the old model of “hustle harder” doesn’t work.
“In times like this, it’s not about pushing more,” she says. “It’s about leading better.”
Why Emotional Intelligence Matters More Than Ever
The traditional view of leadership: stoic, detached, hyper-focused on the bottom line, is losing its power. “Your team isn’t a spreadsheet,” Preston says. “They’re human beings with their own stress, their own fears. If you don’t know what they need, you can’t lead them effectively.”
That means leaning into emotional intelligence, which includes knowing how to read the room, understand your people, and respond with empathy. It’s not about being soft. It’s about being strategic. “Data can tell you what’s happening, but people will tell you why,” she says. “You just have to be willing to ask and listen.”
Use AI as a Thought Partner
If economic instability isn’t enough, AI anxiety is creeping into the workplace. Headlines warn of job cuts and automation, leaving employees uneasy and leaders scrambling to keep morale intact.
But Preston sees AI differently.
“I don’t look at AI as replacing my voice. I use it to strengthen it,” she says. She uses tools like ChatGPT as a thought partner, even running her emails through it to ensure her tone is strong but approachable.
“Sometimes my natural style is very direct, which can come across as harsh in written communication,” she admits. “AI helps me pause, reframe, and make sure what I’m saying lands with the right level of clarity and care.”
For Preston, AI isn’t just a tech tool. It’s a bridge that can help leaders connect better in moments where trust matters most.
Rethinking “Having It All”
Underneath all the noise from economic swings, tech disruption, and endless demands is another silent pressure: the myth of “having it all.”
“I used to believe that lie,” Preston says. “The thriving career, the picture-perfect family, the social life, the health, the happiness — all at once. And you know what? It nearly broke me.”
She remembers sitting in a meeting with a client who didn’t know she’d been up all night juggling work and family. On the outside, she looked like she was winning. On the inside, she was burning out.
“Chasing it all left me with nothing,” she says. “So I had to redefine what ‘all’ actually meant.”
Her definition now? It’s about tradeoffs, not perfection. It’s about clarity, not comparison. And it’s about intentionally choosing what matters most in the season you’re in, rather than trying to be everything, to everyone, at the same time.
The New Leadership Playbook
In a world obsessed with speed, Preston believes the future of leadership belongs to those who can slow down just enough to stay present, clear, and human.
Her advice for leaders right now:
Be calm in the chaos. Your team will mirror your energy.
Know your audience. Don’t just manage employees, connect with them.
Use AI as a thought partner to lead with more clarity and empathy.
Redefine what success looks like in this moment, not based on someone else’s highlight reel.
“The recession, the tariffs, the tech changes, they’re all noise,” Preston says. “What really matters is this: How do you show up for yourself and your people right now?”
And if you can answer that, she says, you’ll not only weather the storm, you’ll come out stronger on the other side.
