As a leader and manager, one of the issues that I observe is workplace stress.  So, this week, I performed some research and came across two articles that associated leadership, or lack thereof, to two factors, stress and rising costs.  Both are important aspects to look further into.

First, let’s look at how poor leadership can effect an organization.  One of the first points made by Mr. Seijts (2016) is how the poor behavior of employees over a multi-year period was established by the leadership of an organization and that is why it failed.  It is not just bad to have an issue that is handled wrong, but to set guidelines that move the organization in the wrong direction can be costly to an organization.  On the contrary, it takes commitment from leaders to do what it takes, no matter how easy or hard, to accomplish tasks for the good of the organization.  Upper management needs to be able to assess character of managers or team leaders to understand their strong and weak points that they will bring to the project or department.  It is true that businesses, with the exception of non-profits, are trying to make money.  Recent discussions about rising costs of medicine and in particular the EpiPen have been discussed.  Some pharmaceutical companies are concerned with medicine to help people and the money will come (Seijts 2016).  This is unlike Mylan, who raised prices of EpiPen over six times that of the prior cost, which some considered price gouging, but they claimed they are in the “business to make money” (Seijts, 2016).  Decisions like Mylan can be costly to an organization, which is why it is important to make sure leaders of your organization have good character traits, such as courage, responsiveness, endurance, and accountability.

Second, is the aspect of stress and leadership.  Dr. Fred Stickle and Kelly Scott (2016) put together some intriguing information on the subject and I’d like to talk about a few of the takeaways.  In doing so, it is important to note that stress comes from one’s perception of a situation on your mind and body.  Stress can also come from a variety of sources, like work, while driving, or even at home.  Dealing with stressed employees can be a challenge in many aspects.  It is presented that “26 to 40 percent of workers are experiencing extreme job stress” (Stickle & Scott, 2016).  A challenge for leaders is learning how to manage stress both for themselves as well as amongst their followers.  It should also be noted that there is both good and bad stress.  Good stress is when one is more in control of the situation and is focused with intent.  Bad stress I think we are all too familiar with, such as negativity and increased blood pressure.  They also bring to light the difference between personality types and how that effects stress.  The typical “Type A” personality is known for being driven and having stress, where the “Type B” personality is less urgent and looking more for fulfillment of achievements.  This differentiation identifies “Type A” as being more stressed.  On another note, time management or pressure is also different between men and women (Stickle & Scott, 2016).  Awareness of these differences can help manager or leaders minimize stress to employees or followers.

Not only does poor character and leadership effect costs for an organization, but stress can as well.  Initial stress may target specific individuals, but chronic stress can start wearing on a team.  Understanding where this stress may originate and help to identify things to alleviate or mitigate it will make a good team leader as well as save the organization costs with more productivity.

Different organizations, such as consultants and medical staff, will have different stress points based on goals or achievements they are asked to meet in their daily work.  For instance, consultants are often required to be “billable” with work that is important to clients.  Marketing and client development may not fall into that category, so salaried employees may feel the need to work overtime to meet those billable targets, which can put a strain on employees and their family.  Medical staff may have different stress triggers related to patient care that could be factors in their daily activities that create stress.  The saying “different strokes for different folks” could definitely apply to stress and how it effects employees.  Some may be able to brush it off quickly while others let it pile up.

As I sign off for today, I’d like to leave you with a few quotes to inspire you to evaluate your leadership interactions to reduce both costs and stress with a few of your own character traits:  

References:

Seijts, G. (2016, Sept/Oct). Rising costs of bad leadership. Ivey Business Journal.

Stickle, F.E. and Scott, K. (2016). Leadership and occupational stress.  Education, (1), 27.