The Stress Of Leadership

3827 Words16 Pages
The Stress of Leadership | The Stress of Leadership | The Essentialness of Stress Management | | Kimberly Thomas | BUSM 511 | Dr. Adina Scruggs Monday March 14, 2011 The Stress of Leadership Since the beginning of time the role of a leader has been envied. It is assumed to be a position of great honor. But truth be told; behind closed doors it can be the loneliest, excruciating, and bewildering calling known to man. Often times people in leadership roles are assumed to be at the top of their game; always having the solution to a problem, eager and ready to respond and take on the world. At the end of the day, they are deemed the superhero that saves the day. Truthfully leaders are our heroes and they do often save the day. However, drowned out by the glimmer and the fame, there is a dark side to leadership that is often overlooked. Imagine a life where someone’s life depended on your every move. Your simple no or difficult yes, could changed someone’s life forever. Envision an entire corporation closing its doors because of one simple error based upon your judgment. Or imagine an entire country depending on and looking up to you. The sum of these factors is Stress. While there are many qualities and benefits to leading an organization or a group of people, often time leaders fail due to the overwhelming pressures of reaching goals and making sure the complete team is satisfied with the outcomes. This failure can often time be a direct link to stress. While stress is enviable for leadership, it is essential for leaders to effectively manage stress. In the summer of 2006, the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) did a study on leadership and stress. Surprisingly, Eighty-eight percent of leaders reported that work is a primary source of stress in their lives and that having a leadership role increase the level of stress. “Stress is part and parcel
Open Document