“I’ll never know, but I don’t think I would’ve started to get offered those roles without saying ‘no’,” the singer said. How many times have executives been overlooked for promotions and had to resign to progress their career?

Another key success factor was the mindset the singers had on taking risks. One commented that “if you only give perfection to your audience, the moment you are not perfect, they will notice right away. If you are giving them an experience, and you are committed ... they will always forgive you a sound that is not perfect.”

Many singers had no idea how much of a burden their performance anxiety had become, nor how detrimental it was to their health and wellbeing, until they reached breaking point.

“I do recognise three or four moments in my life when I was suffering from incredible anxiety through the pressures put on me for performing – and I wasn’t aware of it at the time,” one of the singers observed. How many executives carry a burden of stress and anxiety they feel is normal but ultimately leads to burnout and dissatisfaction?

Once the singers recognised they needed outside support and accessed specialist psychological assistance, many found strategies that significantly improved their ability to perform and, importantly, their enjoyment of both work and life.

One of the singers couldn’t understand why seeking specialist psychological support wasn’t more commonplace. “I think everyone in the world should do it – I don’t understand why we wouldn’t. We spend so much time and energy on what we put in our bodies and going to a personal trainer and a gym. Get a psychologist to sort out your brain.”

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While we can act to address the challenges we face, there are also times when specialist help and guidance can further our performance. How many of us have given up on something important only to find out years later that there were pathways of support we weren’t aware of?

No matter what field we work in, it is ultimately our responsibility to ensure our career is professionally rewarding but also allows us to sustain health and wellbeing. This process helped me finally start to let go of what I wished I had always done and instead identify actions I could take.

Garry Pollack is an executive coach who runs Thrive Leadership and is a former professional singer.