
S9E28 - The Hidden Cost of Performance: Steve Cuss on Anxiety, the Enneagram Three, and Becoming Your True Self
Published: January 8, 2026
Duration: 57:12
What happens when the need to appear competent becomes the very thing that disconnects us from others—and from ourselves?
In this deeply honest and surprisingly funny conversation, Ian welcomes author, speaker, and Enneagram Three, Steve Cuss for a wide-ranging dialogue on anxiety, performance, false self, and the quiet freedom that comes with becoming more human-sized. Drawing from Steve's experience as a hospital chaplain, pastor, and leadership consultant, they explore why our most polished coping strategies often come from fear, how predictable patterns keep us stuck, and why anxiety is so contagious in families, churches, and organizations.
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