For the Leaders – Do You Put Good First and Let Stress Go?
Posted on Thu, Jul 22, 2010 @ 12:00 PM
Stay tuned for more blog postings from Mary Kier.
As promised, the next few weeks will focus on exploring specific leadership topics. Now I’m not sure where I read this – and to be honest, I don’t remember who said it – but reflect on the following thought, “Placing the good of the enterprise ahead of your own desires – that’s true leadership.” I think the best leaders realize that, although they may have pet projects they favor, at the end of the day what is best for the company and the employees must always come first.
In recent times the business community has witnessed greed and over-spending by some CEOs that has led to the downfall of certain organizations. Companies that are surviving and thriving have leaders that did not succumb to greed or an unsustainable quest for short-term profits. I maintain the position that those individuals are still leading quality organizations because they were able to see the long-term value in doing the right thing. So why, you may ask, did certain leaders put the greater good ahead of greed? I would say that perhaps the answer is found in the way those particular leaders react to stress.
In light of the business climate today, I put this question out to all leaders – how do you carry your stress? Does it show to your employees? Do you carry it home to your personal life? Consider this eye-opening narrative on stress that I often share:
A lecturer raises a glass of water to a packed audience and asks “How heavy is this glass of water?” After a few guesses from the audience, the lecturer replies, “The weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute then it is not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, however, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day you’ll have to call an ambulance. In each case – it is the same weight – but the longer I hold it the heavier it becomes.”
I like this story because it illustrates that the way stress is managed can contribute, or even change, the way it is perceived. As we bear our burdens they grow heavier with time until it is impossible to carry on. Sometimes you just have to remember that when everything is coming at you head on, you just might be in the wrong lane! Step aside – take some time to relax – and readjust your perception of things. And if nothing else works, recall the famous words of heroine Scarlett O’Hara – “Tomorrow is another day.”