Send to KindleWhat energizes you? When you’re having one of those days when things aren’t going right and the boss isn’t happy, what do you do? Hopefully, your answer isn’t to find someone to yell at. Leaders seldom make everyone happy but they can count on having bad days. Whether it’s just a bad day or a general decline in your own moral, how you as a leader handle those bad days can have a significant influence on your effectiveness, not to mention mental health.
It’s vital for a leader to maintain an even temperament. That’s not to say you should never show emotion or let people know when you’re happy or unhappy. It’s important for your subordinates to know you are human and are affected by things just as they are. A little righteous indignation can go a long way if it is on the right subject and is controlled. What I’m talking about is those deeper feelings of anger or despair or an inability to concentrate on the issues at hand. This is where you, as a leader, need some kind of release. I’ve seen more than a few leaders who try to keep everything bottled up inside, either because of an overactive ego that says they’re not weak and can handle it, or because they ignore the problem and just keep burying themselves in work. Here are a few tips I’ve found helpful in dealing with stress.
1. Do something physical. A little physical exercise can go a long way toward relieving stress. You don’t have to run a marathon, but a trip around the block can be relaxing. I once worked in a very large 4 story building. My office was on the second floor, so I developed a route that took me from my office to the basement and back up to the 4th floor without ever using the same hall or stairway twice. It took about 20 minutes and when I returned I felt refreshed.
2. Find a confidant. It’s very helpful to have someone in whom you can confide your frustrations. For me, this is my wonderful wife who has been there for me for over 28 years. Your confidant doesn’t have to be a spouse. Perhaps you have another close relative or a long-time friend who you trust. Be careful though as there are a couple of serious pitfalls. You subordinates should never be your confidants. That just begs for trouble. Also, it’s bad form to use a supervisor in this role. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t share concerns or disagreements with your boss, but they aren’t that shoulder to cry on; and they’ll probably let you know that! Be careful what you talk about with your confidant. There is probably information you shouldn’t share outside your work area.
3. Take a little time off. There sometimes develops, among leaders, a masochistic tendency to don a superhuman persona. The “life’s short, sleep when you’re dead” idea. There are a few people who get away with that, but most people need to take a little down time every now and then. Sometimes you have to put in those long days and weeks, but not always. Take a weekend off; take a vacation. Just get away for a while. And by the way, getting away with the Blackberry strapped to your belt isn’t really what I mean.
4. Go out and catch one of your workers doing something good and tell them about it. Nothing ever gave me a better boost than getting out with the people who held my success in their hands and thanking them for what they do. It’s invigorating!
If you don’t have stress as a leader, you probably aren’t doing your job. But don’t let it burn you out. Try these techniques for a little relief.
