Tag: Trust

How Leaders Cope With Stress At Work

by Bright Osadiaye, posted in Health & Well-Being, Improve Academy, Leadership, Management, Personal Development, Workplace Learning
Photo by Tara Winstead on Pexels.com

Take care of yourself. Taking care of yourself is your responsibility. No one is going to take care of your work for you.

Don’t make things too hard for yourself. Before you get yourself into anything, ask yourself, ‘Do I have what it takes to do it well?’ If not, don’t go for it. If you have, then go for it.

As a leader, you are not working alone. You are working with your people. So if you want to stay in shape, you must take care of yourself.

According to Meghan French Dunbar, ‘Holistic leaders strive to avoid toxic traits as much as possible. They can discern which healthy traits complement each other and which are needed based on circumstances, never relying too much on one trait over another.’

‘Leaders who’ve shifted to an authentic leadership approach feel happier and less stressed while also proving to be more effective in the workplace.’

‘Authentic leadership makes employees feel greater affinity with and commitment to their organizations, increases trust, and enhances employees’ creativity and positive emotions.’

‘Authentic leaders strive to lead from their values, honor their truth regardless of circumstances, question the norm and do things differently, regulate their emotions so they can respond rather than react, and seek healthy environments where they feel supported as their best selves.’

‘Optimized leaders focus on the quality of how they show up over the quantity of how much they’re doing. They intentionally create conditions in their life that help them be at their best- including finding needed support, releasing things that don’t serve them, and setting clear boundaries- all of which decrease the likelihood of burnout, bolster creativity, improve performance, and increase overall happiness and well-being.’

‘Sustained leaders prioritize their well-being, regularly engaging with practices that result in significantly improved physical and mental health, decrease instances of burnout, enhanced resilience, and increased levels of overall happiness.’

‘One of the best ways to encourage your team to do so is by stepping into your vulnerability.’

‘Employees need to have clear mechanisms to voice their opinions to company leadership to ensure their safety.’

‘When employees lack dignity, they respond in all sorts of ways– anger, frustration, disengagement, depression, anxiety, and much more.’

‘How you define success shapes your entire life: it informs what type of work you choose, the goals you set, the sacrifices you make, and what you prioritize.’

Source:

Meghan French Dunbar (2025). This Isn’t Working: How Working Women Can Overcome Stress, Guilt, and Overload to Find True Success

‘Leading At A Distance’

by Bright Osadiaye, posted in Health & Well-Being, Improve Academy, Leadership, Management, Personal Development, Workplace Learning Report
Photo by energepic.com on Pexels.com

‘Trust is built naturally among teams that interact in person each day, but it takes more effort to develop among teams that rarely (if ever) meet face to face.’

‘Virtual leaders need to create an environment that fosters trust. When trust breaks down, however, they will struggle to be productive.’

‘Motivating people at a distance is challenging because of the lack of in-person contact, which can make it harder to understand what motivates people and to convey the team’s sense of purpose.’

‘Recognize that virtual meetings are specially prone to disruption. Learn to recognize the five most common types of meeting disruptors and have a plan for addressing them.’

‘Managers who excel at coaching use paraphrasing, empathizing, and good questions to show they are listening closely, and provide balanced feedback in a timely manner, despite the distance.’

‘Leaders are concerned about how to ensure their corporate culture remains strong during all-remote work.’

‘Modeling culture starts from the top. That’s true whether leading in-person or virtually. Most leaders try to communicate more frequently when leading from a distance, and as the amount of communication increases, it’s vital to make sure one’s words and actions remain aligned.’

‘Leaders can create a trusting environment through open, frequent, and transparent communication, by encouraging team members to share aspects of their personal lives to build intimacy; and by admitting when they don’t know something.’

‘If your team cannot meet in person for a kickoff or important event, use a series of short virtual meetings to replicate what would occur in person.’

‘Process is even important when working virtually. Set clear expectations about how the team will communicate, ensure that the team is informed about shifting priorities, and seek feedback from stakeholders about team performance over time.’

Source:

James M. Citrin & Darleen Derosa (2021). Leading at a Distance: Practical Lessons for Virtual Success