In the world of leadership, calmness and tranquility are often undervalued. It seems that stressed leaders who work at full capacity achieve great results. But that’s not the case. Today I want to talk to you about an essential skill for successful leadership: CALMNESS.
Studies show that 92% of high-performing professionals are experts at managing their emotions under stress to maintain control. The question isn’t whether you’ll experience stress (because you will), but how you’ll prevent that stress from becoming a burden on your leadership and your health.
STRESS: AN ALLY THAT CAN’T STAY AWAKE
STRESS ISN’T THE ENEMY; PROLONGED STRESS IS. IN FACT, PERFORMANCE PEAKS AT MODERATE LEVELS OF ACTIVATION. A little pressure helps the brain generate new cells that improve memory. The problem arises when stress ceases to be intermittent and becomes chronic, causing degeneration in the areas of the brain responsible for self-control.
Most of your stress is subjective and within your control. The best professionals don’t have fewer problems; they have better strategies. HERE ARE 10 MASTER STRATEGIES FOR LEADING WITH CALM:
1. PRACTICE ACTIVE GRATITUDE. It’s not just about being “nice.” Contemplating what you’re grateful for reduces cortisol (the stress hormone) by 23%. People who cultivate daily gratitude immediately improve their energy and physical well-being.
2. BANISH “WHAT IF…?” This question fuels anxiety. The more time you spend imagining catastrophic scenarios, the less time you’ll dedicate to taking the actions that would truly calm you.
3. TRAIN CONSCIOUS OPTIMISM. The brain tends to gravitate toward the negative. You must force it to select something positive to focus on, however small. If the day is terrible, think of something good from yesterday or last week.
4. TRULY DISCONNECT. Being available 24/7 exposes you to a constant barrage of stressors. Forcing yourself to go offline and turn off your phone gives your body the break it needs. Start with small blocks on weekends until your team members get used to your recharge times.
5. WATCH YOUR CAFFEINE INTAKE. CAFFEINE triggers adrenaline, the source of the “fight or flight” response. This is helpful in the face of a physical threat, but disastrous for responding to a complex email. Caffeine overrides rational thought in favor of an impulsive reaction.
6. SLEEP LIKE A PRO. When you sleep, your brain recharges and processes the day’s memories. Lack of sleep raises cortisol levels on its own, even without external factors. Sleep isn’t wasted time; it’s the fuel for your self-control.
7. REDUCE NEGATIVE SELF-TALK. MOST of our negative thoughts are just that: thoughts, not facts. When you catch yourself believing your pessimistic inner voice, stop and write it down. Seeing it on paper will diminish its negative impact, and you’ll be able to rationally assess its validity.
8. REFRAME YOUR PERSPECTIVE. You can’t control traffic or a difficult boss, but you can control your response. If you feel like “everything is going wrong,” make a list of what’s not working. You’ll find that the scope of the problems is often much more limited than you initially perceive.
9. BREATHE (LITERALLY). It’s the simplest way to make stress intermittent. When you feel overwhelmed, take a couple of minutes to sit and focus exclusively on your breathing. If you get distracted (which you will), count each inhale and exhale back up to 20.
10. LEAN ON YOUR SUPPORT SYSTEM. Trying to do everything alone is inefficient. Acknowledge your weaknesses and ask for help. Sometimes, simply talking about your concerns with someone you trust provides a fresh perspective that you, because of your emotional involvement, can’t see.
Your leadership depends largely on how you choose to act under pressure. Mastering these strategies will not only strengthen your emotional intelligence but also prevent bad habits from derailing your career.
Because, as Albert Einstein said,
“A leader is someone who brings simplicity out of clutter, harmony out of discord, and opportunity out of difficulty.”
