How To Lead Your Staff Positively In High Stress Situations

Every leader faces high stress situations regardless of title, profession, gender, or experience. Stress is a constant in our lives, like death and taxes. Because high levels of stress will negatively affect your mental, emotional, and physical health - you must learn to lead well under pressure. 

When you find yourself in high pressure or high stress situations, you can feel out of control. Choices feel limited, and you begin to doubt your ability to remain calm and lead with confidence.

Numerous studies prove that stress in the workplace leads to high employee turnover and burnout. It's the number one complaint of the workforce today. The cost is too high to do nothing, so it's important we get this right as leaders. But where does one start?

You have to start with what you can control: yourself.

 

"Job stress is estimated to cost American companies more than $300 billion a year in health costs, absenteeism and poor performance." Financial Cost of Job Stress
 

The truth is that pressure, stress, and crisis limit your choices. But you will always have control of how you as a leader respond to the situation. Your thoughts control your words and your actions. Your words and actions will control how your team responds. They don't need perfection; what they need is a leader who is willing to lead well in the face of uncertainty. 

A good place to start is with your mindset and doing a self-assessment on your thoughts, behaviors, and habits. You can also start a daily gratitude practice. Both together would do wonders for your ability to lead positively in high stress situations.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• What needs to change in my daily habits or routines so I can release stress instead of ignoring or adding to it? 
• What am I worried about right now or what thoughts are dominating my mind lately? 
• Who are 5 people I'm grateful are in my life right now?
• What does my team need from me the most in this season?

Job stress is the greatest stressor for the majority of the workforce. It ranks higher than financial or family problems, and it causes 40% of turnover.

Pressure and stress are inevitable, so learning how to handle them in productive and healthy ways is necessary. Start with leading yourself well in assessing your thoughts, habits, and behaviors. And then... model them for your team. 

With grace & grit,

~Coach Raychel

Raychel Perman is a Certified Life & Leadership Coach, Speaker, Best-Selling Author, Podcast Co-Host, and Co-Founder of RAYMA Team.  She shares her story of overcoming trauma and living with mental health challenges & chronic pain to inspire others that brokenness does not disqualify you from living and leading well. It prepares you. 

She has a Bachelors of Science in Psychology and Christian Counseling from Liberty University. Raychel, her husband Josh, and her three children make their home in North Dakota. She loves coffee, gemstones, and rocking the boat.