How to be a

In today’s complex and rapidly changing health care environment, stress

management has become a must-have leadership skill. As a leader, you have

less-stressed
more control over your stress levels at work than you might think. There are
four personal strategies you can use to be a less-stressed leader and model
healthy behaviors for your team:

LEADER
»» Respond productively to stress in »» Advocate for yourself
the moment
»» Build supportive relationships
»» Clarify your priorities

RESPOND PRODUCTIVELY TO STRESS IN THE MOMENT

Stress is contagious…
What’s your stress tendency?
and practice a HEALTHIER
Avoidance
STRESS response
30% Tendency to distract yourself from
your stressors and procrastinate
People who experience Avoidance Engage more with your stressors
“secondhand stress” from Complaint
others’ stress Tendency to externalize your stress
and negative emotions onto others Complaint Get an objective view of your stressors

…but so is wellness Obsession

Tendency to focus all of your time

20% and energy on your stressors

Obsession Take breaks from your stressors

Increase in well-being when

people’s colleagues have IDENTIFY how you Self-doubt
Tendency to internalize your Self-doubt Give yourself the benefit of the doubt
healthy stress habits respond to stress stress and blame yourself when stressed

CLARIFY YOUR PRIORITIES

Identify your TOP THREE Narrow your TO-DO LIST

priorities at work
Creating a new staffing plan

Evaluating a new service protocol

Finalizing a budget

Launching a new initiative or service

What counts as a priority? Defer: Reschedule tasks to Delegate: Hand off tasks to Eliminate: Cross off tasks from
Making and proposing a business case
a later date on your calendar a colleague or a different team your to-do list entirely
Providing leadership updates
Directly supports a strategic
initiative or business need
Leading or serving on a committee
Is top-of-license for your
level and skill set Block DEDICATED TIME
Can be significantly advanced for each of your priorities
in the next month
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

Dedicated work blocks

8AM

Department
for business priorities Candidate interview Call with David
9 leadership meeting
Work on staffing

CONFIRM with
report
Meeting with Matt Meeting with Rachel All-staff meeting
10
Meeting with HR Budget committee
11
a leader 12PM
Lunch with mentor
Caseload review
Rounding

Prepare for budget

Meeting with Brian Work on Program evalutation presentation
1 service plan meeting

Pressure test what Town hall Meeting with finance Budget presentation
2
your priorities are Revise budget Project review Meeting with Paul Pro-bono project
3

Define your
Rounding
Time for personal
Meeting with Sam
Outreach meeting
4
Agree on what you Facilitate training priorities
can de-prioritize PERSONAL priorities 5
Baseball game

ADVOCATE FOR YOURSELF BUILD SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIPS

Ask for HELP What type of support do you need?

Create a personal BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Staff, money, technology,
Material templates, collaboration Peer leaders in other departments

Expertise, facts/information, People with different expertise than you

Informational feedback, training, buy-in
Senior leaders and mentors
Listening, productive venting,
Emotional humor, perspective, advice People with similar goals as you

Create an appropriate forum

NO! No... NO! No...
no.
Say NO more often no.
Agree on a specific time and place—with the
appropriate people—to get stress off your chest

Set a time limit

Restrict the amount of time you and your
colleagues vent—and try not to go over time
Not enough The sweet spot Too much
Overwhelming Workload shaped by Missed opportunities Practice Focus on solutions
Reserve time at the end to brainstorm some
amount of work your priorities to contribute
POSITIVE venting potential solutions—end on a positive note

Help spread wellness by sharing this

Talent Development infographic with other leaders in your network.
advisory.com/hrac/Less-StressedLeader
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