How Leaders Can Reduce Stress and Build Resiliency in the New Year

Leaders have a tough job, but this past year has been uniquely challenging. Coming off the holiday season many leaders have been able to reduce their stress level a bit by spending time with family and engaging in non-work activities. But work is about to start again in the new year so what can be done to curb stress on the job? Are there tweaks or modifications which can be made to build one’s resiliency moving forward?

In this post I want to focus on the power of knowing yourself and how reflecting on your work pattern preferences can establish a foundation for both reducing stress and building resiliency. Below, I outline a simple (and quick) exercise which can assist leaders in this regard.

To begin one needs to take some quiet time to reflect on their work pattern preferences. The goal is to identify the “big rocks in the jar” related to one’s desired patterns. We all have them, and although we may not have consciously identified these preferences, as humans we are creatures of habit and therefore, they do exist.

Start by asking yourself the following questions and take time to record your responses. How do you prefer to start your day once at work? Some may desire to sift through their email, while others review the meetings they have for the day. Regardless, identify how you prefer to start once you walk through the door in the morning.

Next, consider how you prefer to take phone calls. Often these calls are coming through your administrative assistant so do you prefer to take them as they come, or would you rather handle calls after lunch, or at the end of the day? Again, reflect upon and record your preferences.

Thirdly, consider how you desire to have meetings and visits scheduled. In most cases your administrative assistant is the gatekeeper and the one who handles this process. What is your preference? Do you want your assistant to talk to you prior to putting a meeting on your calendar or allowing a walk in to visit, or will you give them the power to schedule a meeting anytime an opening exists on your calendar? Do all visitors need to schedule a meeting?

Finally, think about when you prefer to have focused work time. You will always have a project to complete, a letter to write, or some other task which requires uninterrupted time. At what point in the day do you desire to do this work? In the morning, after lunch…etc? It is important to think through this issue because you have two choices: either you purposefully schedule this time, or your schedule will dictate when this work is completed. It is up to you, but it does require thought related to your desired work flow.

Once you have taken the time to reflect upon these questions the next step is to assess how aligned your current schedule is with your work pattern preferences. My guess is that you will find some areas are highly aligned and that others require adjustment. Now that you have determined where adjustments are needed, you can meet with your administrative assistant and discuss how greater alignment can be achieved.

I hope you will work through this exercise in 2021. It does not take much time, but I believe it will make a difference in terms of your feeling of control over your job. I would further recommend that you complete this exercise on an annual basis. Life has a way of driving misalignment over a period time. An annual adjustment will bring you back into congruence with your preferences and ultimately reduce stress on the job.

Please take a moment to identify any methods you have used, or have seen other use, which can reduce stress and build resiliency for leaders. Again, we all gain when we share wisdom and learn from each other.