Managing Leadership Stress

Everyone experiences stress, and leaders face the additional stress brought about by the unique demands of leadership: having to make decisions with limited information, to manage conflict, to do more with less . . . and faster! The consequences of stress can include health problems and deteriorating relationships. Knowing what signs of stress to look for and having a strategy for increasing your resources will help you manage leadership stress and be more effective over a long career. Table of Contents The Stress of Leadership 7 Why Is Leadership Stressful? 8 Stress Assessment 13 When Stress Is Who, Not What 17 Handling Your Leadership Stress 20 Less Stress, Better Leadership 28 Suggested Readings 29 Background 29 Key Point Summary 31

Vidula Bal is a senior enterprise associate at the Colorado Springs campus of the Center for Creative Leadership. She facilitates a variety of open-enrollment programs, designs and delivers custom programs, and conducts research on stress, power, and team effectiveness. She holds a Ph.D. in communication from the University of Texas at Austin. Michael Campbell is a senior research analyst at CCL's Colorado Springs campus. He conducts research on talent management and succession management, and manages CCL's leadership assessment database. He holds a B.S. in business and marketing from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Sharon McDowell-Larsen is a senior associate and exercise physiologist at CCL's Colorado Springs campus. She manages the Fitness for Leadership module of CCL's Leadership at the Peak program and does research on the exercise habits and effectiveness of senior executives. She holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in exercise physiology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.