March 9th, 2010 | 
Author: Leadership Power Stress: Part 1 Sources
Power stress is part of the experience that results from the exercise of influence and sense of responsibility felt in leadership positions. (Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee Resonant Leadership Harvard Business School Press 2005)
Leadership requires the exercise of influence or power. It requires having an impact on others to make things happen. It involves responsibility for the organization. Leaders are under continual scrutiny and evaluation. All these things increase the feels of pressure and stress.
For people who head organizations choices are rarely simple and clear. Communications and decision making are incredibly complex. Worse leaders are often called upon to get results and lead people over whom they have little authority.
There is no doubt that it is lonely at the top. Affiliation with others is known to relieve stress yet leaders are selected for their high need for power and achievement. Under pressure a leader will work harder rather than reach out to others.
Furthermore the higher one is in position the less authentic the feedback. Leaders are prone to CEO disease where the feedback going upwards is distorted or diluted.
Sources of Leadership Power Stress
Here are a few sources of stress that are unique to people in leadership positions. Leaders experience increased stress because they:
Must make important decisions with conflicting and complex data
Must influence others over whom they have little authority
Have a high need for power
Are driven by power and achievement over affiliation with others
Must continually get results no matter what
Lack realistic and authentic feedback from others
Constantly fight fires solve problems and crises
Must take responsibility even for uncontrollable events
Are more visible to stakeholders the public and customers
Are subject to unrelenting evaluation from peers boards and competitors
Must exercise constant selfcontrol
Must place the good of the organization above personal impulses and needs
They work for organizations that encourage selfsacrifice and long hours
They work for organizations that undervalue renewal recuperation and relaxation
Such high levels of stress have deleterious effects on the immune system leading to physiological states that cause diseases. Worse power stress leads to destructive psychological states.
A leader may withdraw unto him or herself in an effort to protect from stress. Conversely he or she may strike out at others in inconsistent ways with inappropriate expressions of anger or emotions. The leader may double up his or her efforts to achieve results and in the process miss important information from people. This further alienates people who may begin to perceive the leader as arrogant and no longer receptive. There is no doubt there is a substantial cost incurred as a result of leadership power stress.
Power stress causes a leader to go from resonance to dissonance. Once this happens there is a lack of trust and consequently a lessening of influence over the troops. Results falter and the leader becomes ineffective in a downward spiral to burnout.
The Cycle of Sacrifice and Renewal
The problem is not simply power stress. It has always been a part of leadership reality. The problem is too little recovery time. There is no halftime on the field. While the pressure and stresses will not relent there must also be greater attention to recuperation on both a personal and organizational level.
Leaders sacrifice themselves continuously on the job. Some leaders have learned skills that deliberately and consciously step out of the destructive patterns to renew themselves physically mentally and emotionally.
Leaders who manage the cycle of sacrifice stress and renewal are mindful of what it takes to turn situations around. They are able to motivate themselves and others by being optimistic focusing on values and connecting with others.
They cant do that without mastering stress and renewal. This involves paying attention to mind body heart and spirit. These effective leaders know that without attending to themselves first they wont have the energy to maintain resonance to manage other people.
This is part 1 of a 2 part article on Leadership Power Stress by author Patsi Krakoff. In part 2 we examine the cures for relieving power stress.
About the writer:
Patsi Krakoff Psy. D. writes articles for business and executive coaches and consultants. She provides articles on leadership and executive development for sale and formatted into customized newsletters. Get Patsi’s Secrets of Successful Ezines 7Step MiniCourse to learn what you need to know to publish a successful ezine. http://snipurl.com/Ezine_MiniCourse
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Leadership In The Gaps
We often talk about the big debate about whether leaders or born or made. Are we just born with the all the skills and traits necessary to inspire others to want to follow us or is it more of a process of learning these skills? While that debate will go on and on theres one thing I do know you define yourself as a leader in the gaps. Those seconds between something happening and your response.
In this small amount of time you show your people just what you value and who you really are. Its in those situations when you have little if any time to think you just react. In the gap you rely solely on your character and values to drive your actions. No faking no rehearsal no second chance to get it right.
This is why I feel it is so important that one of the first things we do as a new leader is define ourselves. What do we really value? Where will you draw the line in terms of getting results? Will you lie will you ask people to do things that you would never do yourself? At some point we are all faced with decisions that define who we are as a leader. I cant think of a better way to gain the respect of others by making decisions that are always aligned with your values. If you have been blessed with some great mentors you are probably well grounded in having a solid foundation as to who you are and how to align that with your leadership style. If not one of the fist things you need to do is find someone that can help guide and mentor you until you have your values securely attached.
Think about some of the decisions you were faced with last week. Anything that you did not feel good about but felt you had to do? Those are usually the ones that deviate from your core values. Define your values for a lifetime and your gap decisions will be consistent and right on the money.
About the writer:
Kreg Enderson is a certified coach speaker and successful leader. more information can be found at www.leadershipmentor.net.
Leadership By Persuasion Four Steps To Success
As a leader your success depends upon your ability to get things done: up down and across all lines. To survive and succeed you must learn four essential skills of persuading people. You must convince others to take action on your behalf even when you have no formal authority.
Persuasion is an essential proficiency for all leaders requiring you to move people toward a position they dont currently hold. You must not only make a rational argument but also frame your ideas approaches and solutions in ways that appeal to diverse groups of people with basic human emotions.
Preparing the Way
Any direct attempt to persuade may provoke colleagues to oppose and polarize. Because persuasion is a learning and negotiating process it must include three phases: discovery preparation and dialogue.
Before you even begin to speak consider your position from every angle. Presenting your ideas takes planning to learn about your audience and prepare your arguments.
Dialogue occurs both before and during the persuasion process. You must invite people to discuss solutions debate the merits of your position offer honest feedback and suggest alternatives. You must test and revise ideas to reflect colleagues concerns and needs. Success depends on being openminded and willing to incorporate compromises.
Four Steps to Successful Persuasion
Leading through persuasion requires you to follow four essential steps:
1. Establish credibility. Credibility develops from two sources: expertise and relationships. Listen carefully to other peoples suggestions. Establish an environment in which they know their opinions are valued. Prepare by collecting data and information that both support and contradict your arguments.
2. Understand your audience. Frame your goals in a way that identifies common ground. Your primary goal is to identify tangible benefits to which your targeted audience can relate. This requires conversations to collect essential information by asking thoughtful questions. This process will often prompt you to alter your initial argument or include compromises. Identify key decision makers stakeholders and the organizations network of influence. Pinpoint their interests and how they view alternatives.
3. Reinforce your positions with vivid language and compelling evidence. Persuasion requires you to present evidence: strong data in multiple forms (stories graphs images metaphors and examples). Make your position come alive by using vivid language that complements graphics. In most cases a rocksolid argument:
Is logical and consistent with facts and experience
Favorably addresses your audiences interests
Eliminates or neutralizes competing alternatives
Recognizes and deals with office politics
Receives endorsements from objective authoritative third parties
4. Connect Emotionally. Your connection to your audience must demonstrate both intellectual and emotional commitment to your position. Successful persuaders cultivate an accurate sense of their audiences emotional state and they adjust their arguments tone accordingly. Whatever your position you must match your emotional fervor to your audiences ability to receive your message.
In todays organizations work is generally completed by crossfunctional teams of peers with a mix of baby boomers and GenXers who show little tolerance for authority. Electronic communication and globalization have further eroded the traditional hierarchy. People who perform work dont just ask what should I do? but why should I do it?
Leaders must answer the why question effectively. Persuasion is an essential proficiency for all leaders who want to succeed in the 21st century organization.
About the writer:
Patsi Krakoff Psy. D. writes articles for business and executive coaches and consultants. She provides articles on leadership and executive development for sale and formatted into customized newsletters. Get Patsi’s Secrets of Successful Ezines 7Step MiniCourse to learn what you need to know to publish a successful ezine. http://snipurl.com/Ezine_MiniCourse.