Stress as a Signal: Mary Morrison on Leadership and What Happens When We Listen

At How We Heal, Mary Morrison is the founder and teaches leaders to transform stress into strength, clarity, and well-being—without the fluff, without the endless self-help rabbit holes, and definitely without pretending you’re fine when you’re running on fumes. Mary helps individuals and organizations transform stress into insight. In this episode, she shares why stress isn’t something to avoid—it’s something to learn from.

Guest Shoutout:

Mary Morrison, MBA, MAc., is the founder of How We Heal, a coaching practice helping individuals and leaders use stress as a catalyst for change. She combines neuroscience, ancient medicine, and leadership tools into a deeply impactful method. Learn more at howweheal.com.

The Story Behind the Episode

Mary is a natural guide. She brings language to experiences many of us struggle to name. In this conversation, she invites us to rethink stress, not as a problem to be managed, but as a source of wisdom. Her framework is rooted in Chinese medicine but applied across business, leadership, and everyday life.

We talk about the power of asking “What if I don’t?” in moments of major decision—and how that very question led Mary to transition from running a physical clinic to launching a coaching practice that meets people where they are. She explains how the symptoms we try to silence often hold the exact messages we need to hear. When we listen to those signals, we unlock the potential to shift our patterns, our health, and even our organizational culture.

Mary’s approach isn’t about bypassing hard emotions. It’s about turning toward them, staying present, and finding the path through. She believes your leadership imprint is a reflection of your internal state. If you’re running on fumes, your culture probably is too.

Key Takeaways:

• Stress isn’t the enemy—it’s a messenger.
• Asking “What if I don’t?” can reveal your deeper calling.
• Leadership begins with embodiment, not performance.
• The most powerful change comes when we choose to listen inward.

Watch or Listen:

YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcast

Shortened Transcript Highlights

00:45 – Mary introduces her practice and philosophy around stress.
02:00 – From Chinese medicine to coaching: the decision to shift.
04:30 – “What if I don’t?” and the courage to walk away from the familiar.
06:20 – How stress symptoms hold the clues to what really matters.
08:10 – Creating culture from the inside out.
10:00 – The power of embodiment and emotional presence in leadership.