Those who have had the motivation and accomplishments to be promoted into management sometimes wonder what they have gotten themselves into. Attracted by the challenge and the chance to have greater influence, today’s managers are faced with stress-producing situations that they may not have anticipated when they chose to move up the ladder.
Pressured from above with a demand for greater results, and pressured from below with the myriad needs of people who report to them, managers are feeling stresses so great that it compromises not only their physical and emotional health, but also their ability to lead well and make sound business decisions.
Much has been written about stress reduction from the physical aspect – eat healthy, get enough rest, and make exercise a regular routine. These are strategies that are proven to make a difference to those who make the commitment to apply and integrate them into their everyday routine.
In addition, many managers agree that they create many of their own stressors by practicing a management style that may not serve in their own best interests or the employees around them. Beliefs and behaviors that express themselves as authoritarian and controlling may have been acquired from well-meaning parents or bosses that they were exposed to as role models along their career path.
Today’s leaders need to take the time to look at themselves, and evaluate what practices and habits are no longer serving them well. Here are some approaches that stressed out managers can apply that will not only reduce their stress, but will help them to be more effective in their overall leadership role:
Hire the best talent you can, and then trust them to do a good job: Hiring the best talent might mean bringing someone on board who wants your job (or one like it somewhere else) someday. An insightful leader lets go of the subtle fears or insecurities that may lie beneath to make the right hires and let them be their best. This means that you can take more off your plate by delegating at a higher level rather than doing too much yourself or micromanaging unnecessarily.
Use the brainpower of your team: Let go of the notion that you are paid to have all the answers, and be relieved of the stress that this expectation brings along with it. It’s okay to admit that you don’t know something or ask someone on your team who is more of an expert in an area than you are. People are inspired by managers who appreciate their value and utilize their talents. Try eliciting solutions from your talented team instead of dictating yours to them. This will elevate the team spirit and reduce stress for both them and you.
Learn to tolerate the mistakes that employees make on their way to getting better at what they do. People learn and grow from their mistakes. Many managers are intolerant or get overly stressed at employee mistakes, feeling that their errors are a poor reflection on them personally. Tolerating mistakes does not mean you are lowering your standards. It means that you accept your employees as fully human, and will use these opportunities to look at what they – or you as their leader -can do to avoid those mistakes in the future.
