“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 involves responsibility for the organization, and it requires the sacrifice of personal needs for those of company. Leaders are under continual scrutiny and evaluation. All these things increase the pressure and leads to power stress.
Without awareness of power stress, and what is needed to renew oneself, leaders are vulnerable to burnout and dissonance with the people they lead.
The Leadership Paradox
Daniel Goleman, authority on emotional intelligence in organizations, calls this the leadership paradox: “For leaders, the first task in management has nothing to do with leading others; step one poses the challenge of knowing and managing oneself.” (Resonant Leadership, page x.)
This includes:
• Connecting with the deep values that guide us
• Imbuing our actions with meaning
• Aligning our emotions with our goals
• Keeping ourselves motivated
• Keeping ourselves focused and on task
When we act in accord with these inner measures, we feel good about what we do. Such emotions are contagious. When we as a leader feel positive, energized, and enthusiastic about our work, so do those we influence. But we can only maintain high effectiveness when we are able to manage the cycles of sacrifice and renewal. This involves being mindful, and expressing hope and compassion.
The Brain and New Age Rhetoric
Before you dismiss the concepts of mindfulness, hope and compassion as being new-age rhetoric, pay attention to the research.
Recent studies in management science, psychology and neuroscience all point to the importance of the development of mindfulness and the experiences of hope and compassion. These practices are supported by scientific evidence.
It boils down to the brain. The brain processes information and sends signals to the sympathetic or parasympathetic nervous systems. These two systems create bodily reactions of either fight, flight, or relaxation and calm.
Optimal functioning involves both systems, those that lead to action, and those that lead to recuperation. Unfortunately, in organizations little emphasis or encouragement is given to renewal and recovery activities.
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