From first-time management roles up to C-suite executives, one of the challenges of leadership is experiencing more responsibility and as a result, more pressure. While your direct reports feel pressure from you to complete their work objectives, management up through the ranks have bigger goals to meet and less direct control over the outcome. It's important when implementing your leadership style to make sure you're maintaining balance even as things get stressful. These maintenance choices are part of what helps you ride the waves of pressure and come through stronger and more capable than before.
Ways to Maintain Balance Under Pressure
You are not alone if you find your leadership role stressful: according to the Center for Creative Leadership, 88% of leaders report that work is a primary source of stress for them, and they also note that their increased leadership responsibility increases that stress. A smaller but still majority (60%) mention that the organizations aren't actually providing stress-management tools. As a result, they take these things into their own hands.
One of the major ways to bring balance to your career experience is to continue learning through professional development in leadership. These courses can help you with a variety of elements: you'll feel more understood and less alone, and you'll get practical resources for maintaining balance, leadership skills, and leading under pressure.
Here are some more workplace tips for making sure you're not burning out from the responsibilities in your control.
Attempt to Understand Real Stakes So You Can Communicate Effectively
One challenge you may face is lots of pressure from your own superiors that makes you feel like you must pressure your own subordinates. However, just asserting that something must be done or that the unrealistic deadline must be met isn't enough. Whenever you can, talk through the big picture of the consequences. Yes, there will be team members who don't need context in order to complete tasks on time, but some team members may be more thoroughly motivated if you can tell them what will happen when something is turned in late.
The other benefit of inquiring about how important certain deadlines and goals are is that you'll slowly learn whether your management is putting pressure uniformly or if there are actually some goals that are less pressing. Great managers will pass along clarity that something is "nice to have but not essential" rather than constantly making their reports feel like even low priorities must be completed immediately. In this sense, ration your pressure and stress and use it sparingly to achieve the big, important goals.
Figure Out What Sustains You and Block Off Time For It
One element of balance is to find the elements of your job that help rebuild what pressure can tear down. If you're feeling depleted every night and waking up feeling the same, you'll eventually see a reduction in your productivity and effectiveness, which is further demoralization.
Instead, notice: do meetings where you outline the next steps lift some of your worries? What about tackling a particularly thorny issue yourself and finding the solution? What about training new members of your team? Don't let your favorite elements of the job fall by the wayside in times of stress. Mark times on your calendar, even if it means rearranging some appointments, to make sure there is time for these items.
Proactively Discuss Issues In the Workflow With the Relevant Parties
Another element of finding balance under pressure is addressing performance issues as early as possible when you find them arising with one of your reports. You don't want to wait until a particular person has delayed four different projects to bring up their problems. They've created patterns in that case, and will likely feel blindsided by the criticism (which might also be sharper if you are more stressed). Instead, notice delays and address them immediately, even if it feels like you are talking about something that isn't a big deal yet. Better to reduce the tension at the early signs rather than having to address performance issues down the line.
Professional Development Extends and Reinforces Lessons About Balance
Many of us will find the search for balance in our career lives to take many years to perfect. New positions or new challenges may throw us for a temporary loop, and a good way to recover is by finding new opportunities to grow and reinforce lessons. Consider taking some leadership development classes at Portland Community College. These are flexible, online courses that are focused on elements you once discussed often with your mentors but haven't gotten to discuss lately. Your professional experience allows you to tailor each assignment and lesson to a relevant situation you're facing. Get to know the PCC Climb catalog today and sign up to keep bringing balance to your work life.
