5 Ways of Managing Stress as a Leader
Leadership

5 Ways of Managing Stress as a Leader

As a leader, your people will look to you for guidance in times of challenge and uncertainty.   Trying to manage your team as well as yourself during these times can make you vulnerable to high stress that can become chronic if not dealt with properly.   Currently, 69% of executives are considering quitting due […]

November 5th, 2023
*

Abby.

Founder

A search expert making key hires for over twenty years.

As a leader, your people will look to you for guidance in times of challenge and uncertainty.

 

Trying to manage your team as well as yourself during these times can make you vulnerable to high stress that can become chronic if not dealt with properly.

 

Currently, 69% of executives are considering quitting due to their wellbeing, and as many as 1 in 3 senior leaders are reported to be exhausted.

 

Learning how to manage stress as a leader is key to your success both professionally and personally.

 

Here are five ways of managing your stress as a leader in 2023.

 

 

Let Go of the Guilt ❌

 

Your employees are human, and so are you.

 

Seeing stress as a weakness or something that needs to be hidden is unhelpful and will not enable you to manage it well.

 

For British entrepreneur Richard Branson, effective stress management starts with not feeling guilty about experiencing it in the first place: “Ditch any guilt you might feel about stopping work and make this relaxation time a priority.”

 

 

Take Those First Steps 🪜

 

From reflecting on his experience with work stress, Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon, feels that addressing an issue as soon as it arises is the best way to go.

 

For him, tackling problems head on even if it’s just by making that first phone call or sending out that first email goes on to “dramatically reduce any stress that might come from it”.

 

No matter how small, taking those first steps towards fixing a problem can help to ease your mind as soon as possible.

 

 

Find a Quiet Space & Breathe 😮‍💨

 

For Oprah Winfrey, she likes to find a quiet space to take a minute and be alone: “A bathroom cubicle works wonders, I close my eyes, turn inward, and breathe”.

 

This is a similar story for businesswoman Melinda Gates. By being so in tune with her mind and body, she can tell when she needs to take time out to slow down – “I have this chronic place in my back that as soon as I start to feel it, I know there’s been too much in my day”.

 

She’s an advocate for meditation apps and how they help to guide her breathing. Whilst she recognises that we don’t always have that spare 20 minutes to sit and meditate, she feels that there is still value in taking small, frequent meditation breaks when and where we can: “I learned from a great meditation teacher that if you just sit in small increments throughout the day, those moments will add up like pearls on a string.”

 

 

Exercise It Out 🚴‍♀️

 

We all know exercise is good for us, and health psychologist Elissa Epel says that by engaging in physical exercise, we are also helping to protect our bodies from stress.

 

He stated that “occasional shots of high stress” help to build our resilience and make us “better prepared to handle future, unexpected stressors”. He describes it as “a bit like getting a stress vaccine” and that one way of getting a shot of this high stress can be through high intensity exercise.

 

A popular training protocol for such exercise is ‘high-intensity interval training’, also known as ‘HIIT’. This style of training consists of short bursts of intense exercise along with short periods of rest.

 

If this sounds too much for you, there is still value in doing lighter forms of exercise. Michelle Obama describes any exercise as an effective ‘physical release’ from stress.

 

 

Alter Your Mindset 🧠

 

What about a mental way of coping with stress?

 

Stanford University lecturer and psychologist Kelly McGonigal says that we can learn to make stress our friend. By changing how we think and act, we can transform our experience of stress.

 

She explains that stress in shorts bursts is perfectly OK – in fact, it energises us, and helps to push us in meeting deadlines for example.

 

What we want to be avoiding is chronic stress. This is because high levels of cortisol, one of our stress hormones, increases the chances of us developing physical and mental problems due to the damage it causes our body when these levels stay elevated.

 

So, the next time we experience stress, we should change how we look at it.

 

Dr Kelly McGonigal says that when we choose to view our stress response as helpful, we “create the biology of courage”.

For example, when we begin to breathe faster, it’s not a problem. This is just one way our body is helping to get more oxygen to our brain to help us better respond to our current situation.

Using symptoms of stress to motivate and spur you on can be a really helpful way of navigating stress when it arises in your day-to-day job.

 

 

It’s about rethinking how we perceive, handle, and go on to managing our stress as a leader that will help us to best deal with it in the future.

 

 


 

To find out more about how to focus on your brand, get in touch today.
Want to hear about our other articles?
Looking to hire your next superstar?
Keen to explore our latest vacancies?
Yellow Bricks is a female-owned and led executive search firm hiring predominately for software companies with diversity and inclusion at the heart of our offering. To learn more, click here.
Related posts
Women in Leadership – Heavy is the crown

Women in Leadership – Heavy is the crown

Should we expect women in leadership roles to accept that they must represent the business and beyond at diversity and inclusion events as well as fit in their day job and personal life?   I spoke with a female board-level director about a career opportunity recently, she talked me through her incredible story, I was […]
Managing the School Holidays as a Working Parent

Managing the School Holidays as a Working Parent

When it comes to planning for school holidays, working parents and guardians face the huge task of making arrangements for their little people and deciding how they will go about managing the school holidays. This can be quite a stressful time, causing families to feel often guilty about not being around all of the time. […]
7 basic interview tips to stand out and get the job

7 basic interview tips to stand out and get the job

Have you got an interview coming up?   Has it been a while?   We have plenty of interview tips to get you started with your preparation.   Attending an interview can be a daunting feeling. Read on to discover our top tips to show your best side during an interview.   As soon as […]
Benefits of Hiring Temps During Uncertain Times

Benefits of Hiring Temps During Uncertain Times

When times look rough, it is often helpful to look back for guidance.   In the past few years there has been a major battle for talent. With the post pandemic boom, many experienced exponential growth, which warranted the extra headcount. However, as things settle and in some cases, go backward, we are seeing a […]
Helina’s Takeaways from MADFest, London

Helina’s Takeaways from MADFest, London

Last week, I attended MADFest in Shoreditch, London! 🤩 It was a jam-packed day with many amazing brands and speakers joining together to celebrate the world of advertising and marketing! Being new to marketing, it was invaluable for me to be amongst and hear from many senior and experienced marketers.   Here are some of […]
Why leadership coaching is proving to be a game-changer in 2024

Why leadership coaching is proving to be a game-changer in 2024

The business landscape is evolving at breakneck speed, placing unprecedented demands on leaders. Today’s successful executives must be agile, empathetic, and digitally savvy. This perfect storm of requirements has created a leadership gap that many organisations struggle to fill.   At Yellow Bricks, we understand the challenges of finding, nurturing, and retaining top-tier leadership talent. […]
5 career-boosting moves women can make

5 career-boosting moves women can make

As the leader of an independent search firm, I am privileged to witness, influence, and guide the remarkable achievements of women entering and excelling within leadership across diverse industries. The resilience, talent, and dedication I see daily is truly inspiring.   As we head into International Women’s Day this week, I wanted to reflect on […]
UK Labour Market Trends: What you need to know

UK Labour Market Trends: What you need to know

Overview of the Current Labour Market The UK labour market is experiencing a notable shift. While still robust compared to pre-pandemic levels, job vacancies and employment are declining. This cooling trend, evident in recent ONS data, signifies a changing landscape for employers and job seekers.   Employment and Unemployment Trends The employment rate declined to […]
Why spending time on your CV is a great investment of your time

Why spending time on your CV is a great investment of your time

How to write a CV in 2025 Is Your CV Getting Lost in the Black Hole? How to Craft a Winning CV in 2025 Starting out your job search can be overwhelming; the process has changed significantly in recent times, making it getting a job more competitive than ever before. Most people feel disheartened by […]
Why a Learning Culture Is Your Competitive Edge

Why a Learning Culture Is Your Competitive Edge

The world of work has undergone a seismic shift. From the pandemic’s upheaval to the rapid rise of AI, businesses are grappling with unprecedented challenges and opportunities. One thing is clear: to thrive in this new era, organisations must prioritise learning and development.   The Learning Imperative The skills gap is continuing to widen. According […]

Join 2,500+ forward-thinking leaders.

People. Culture. Growth.
Unlock your leadership potential with our biweekly newsletter. No spam, only gold.