Management

Is leadership responsible for stress?

By Will Campbell ⋅ December 4, 2008 ⋅  Printable version ⋅

Are leaders responsible for stress? Whichever way you read the question, the answer is yes. Leaders must take responsibility for stress levels, they are liable for any stress cases arising within the organisation which may lead to prosecution. The Health & Safety Executive are clearly targeting employers and their liability for employee’s mental welfare. Taking the other interpretation, leaders, and their actions, are one of the main stressors contributing to overall stress levels within staff. Leaders have two roles in which their actions impact on stress within an organisation, strategic and operational.

Strategic influences

Leaders determine the current nature of the organisation, its future goals, and the method of achieving those goals. They are responsible for equipping the people of the organisation with the means to respond to change, with strategies, policies, resources in place and available at the appropriate time.

Planning the future, and planning for the future

Leaders determine, by their action or inaction, the future direction of the group, whether that be a team, a department, or an organisation. Effective leaders are pro-active in their goal setting, and are well aware of the targets they set, their achievability, and the likely timescales. Perhaps the clearest difference between effective and poor leadership in planning for the future is not that poor leadership is reactive, but that effective leaders are ready to respond. It would be foolish to suppose that everything will go according to plan, and good leaders will plan for the unexpected. In practice, this means putting in place the strategies to quickly identify deviation from the plan, and having the methods in place to deal with the deviation, whether that is remedial action on the cause, or course correction for the plan. The key being that the reactive measures are taken in a controlled and planned manner, panic decisions are never made.

Equipping the team

Successful leaders ensure that the correct resources are in place when required, and they are available when anticipated. Change is inevitable, but the response to that change is directly influenced by the resources leaders have put in place. Strategies and policies which govern the behaviour and ethos of the organisation should be in place and available to everyone. Clear understanding of strategies ensure the coherent and uniform response of the team to any and all situations. Additional staff, training, funding, equipment, accommodation, systems, strategies, policies all come under the heading of resources - leaders know what’s coming, and what resources the team needs now to deal with that, effective leaders plan for other possibilities, and ensure that resources to deal with those are available to be in place if required.

Organisational Culture

Culture within an organisation is determined by the actions and goals of its leadership, and the response by the team members to those actions and goals. Positive cultures - where ethical and moral decisions are taken, where there is a strong commitment to the team, from leaders and members, and where high standards are set for all - are cultures which are confident in their ability to cope with change, and a trust in the leadership to implement change in the best way. Negative cultures have mistrust of change, of leadership, and doubt in their own ability as a team to cope. Successful teams are advocates of change, rather than observers or resistors.

Operational influences

The strategic influences are long term issues, ones of culture, policy and planning, however, leaders have a short term effect on day to day operational circumstances which contribute to ethos and stress.

Lead by example

With the strategies and policies in place, the ethos of the organisation is set, the “way we do things” is clear for all to see. Equally visible are the day to day actions of leaders. If team members see consistency in the application of strategies by their leaders, then the strategies have meaning. However, disregard for the team, disregard for strategies, and disregard for others quickly trickle down from leaders to team members. If leaders don’t practice what they preach, why should the team even try? Effective leaders will ensure that they lead by example.

Compliance with legislation

Compliance with the law, and with internal procedures, enables leaders to demonstrate the ethical nature of their culture, and provides reassurance to the team. However, if the key to the drive to compliance is avoidance of prosecution, this is quickly apparent to all concerned, and has a negative impact on culture. Compliance should be focused on the need to protect the organisational members, and compliance is the minimum standard. If leadership increases standards to above those required for compliance, and the ethos behind such a move is not avoidance of litigation, then team members will respond positively.

Communication

Effective communication ensures that organisational members have full knowledge, and therefore full understanding of the actions of others. Leaders who practice an open communication style benefit from increased loyalty, increased trust and increased commitment from team members. A focused team, like this, acts as a cohesive unit and acts and reacts in positive ways, increasing productivity and personal satisfaction.

Summary

Stress is affected by various stressors such as:

• the demands on the individual
• the degree of control the individual has
• the support given, and confidence in that support
• they are valued and respected, as are others within the team
• change is managed, planned and effective

Leaders have direct control over all of these areas - strategically, and operationally. Effective planning for the future ensures that change is controlled, and effective application of resources during that change ensures that colleagues are supported. Good leadership plans for change. Having the resources, whatever they may be, in place and available provides effective support for staff, and having a positive ethos and culture ensures that leadership decisions are trusted, and implemented by all.

Operationally, leaders must lead by example with respect to strategies and policies, and communicate clearly with all, ensuring that all team members feel respected and valued. Compliance with, or exceeding legislative requirements provides the safety net that enables team members to believe that their well being is not taken for granted.

Strong leadership and style influence greatly the culture and ethos within an organisation, whereas poor leadership can only cause damage. Damage to an organisation at either a strategic or operational level will have an effect on the stressors noted above, and will lead to increased levels of stress within the individual and the organisation.

Tags: leaders, Stress