Anxiety, Stress, and Leadership

If you're like most business leaders, you had a lot of issues on your mind at the start of 2020. Also, like most leaders, I'm guessing, weathering a global pandemic probably wasn't one of them. A year ago, few could have predicted that the global grip of COVID-19 was imminent; indeed, to say that we're in a time of uncertainty is a colossal understatement.That uncertainty has far-reaching consequences, and one is crippling anxiety that's jeopardizing the professional lives of many workers. 

Now, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, anxiety is at an all-time high. Business leaders are tasked with handling the stress of the moment while managing remote teams, quickly evolving strategies, and economic turmoil. For your own health and the health of your business, it's critical to find ways to work through anxiety during these difficult times.

Exacerbating an Existing Condition

The coronavirus (and the worldwide panic it has created) may be novel, but mental strain was already a serious problem. The 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that 47.6 million adults in the U.S. struggled with mental illnesses. Figures released by the World Health Organization at the beginning of 2020 illustrated that more than 264 million people were battling depression around the globe. Its effects range from decreased productivity to suicide in the worst cases.

As people around the world struggle with deaths of relatives and friends, job loss, financial uncertainty, and extended periods of self-isolation, some reports suggest that the mental health fallout from COVID-19 could turn out to be more hazardous than the virus itself.

To avoid the consequences of unmitigated mental strain in your organization, you'll need to demonstrate capable and compassionate leadership. Here are a few healthy ways to move your business forward during this crisis:

Empathize, person-to-person

In order to help alleviate anxiety, it's important to demonstrate that you're all in this together. It may feel less professional, but let your kids show up in video meetings. Engage on Slack channels more often—relate to struggles, but also discuss your forward-thinking plans. According to Harvard professors Michaela Kerrissey and Amy Edmondson, "It will be incumbent on leaders to put themselves in another's suffering, to feel with empathy and think with intelligence, and then to use their position of authority to make a path forward for us all. Crises of historical proportion can make for leaders of historical distinction, but that is far from guaranteed." Make sure your employees know they have your support, and you'll ease a considerable mental burden.

Refocus your perspective.

It's easy to close our eyes and hope for the best when the world is falling down around us, but Srini Pillay, M.D., suggests we adopt a growth mindset instead. Pillay is the CEO of the consulting firm NeuroBusiness Group and a psychiatrist who has studied the effects of anxiety on the brain. As he explains, "The idea with a growth mindset is that if you practice it regularly, it becomes automatic. And the more focused you are on positively tackling your objectives and making progress, the more likely you are to succeed in doing just that." Instead of worrying about everything that could go wrong, utilize positive self-talk. You can get your team through this crisis—and you will.

Delegate critical controls.

It's scary to delegate mission-critical responsibilities, but you can't attempt to do everything yourself if you hope to lead your business through a crisis. Surround yourself with a team of people you trust and give them the freedom to take quick and decisive action. As you delegate, look for the humble but capable leaders who emerge to take charge. A McKinsey & Co. post describes them as "well-grounded individuals who possess humility but not helplessness," pointing out that rank is less important than strength of character in this situation. These leader-delegates won't always be senior executives, so expand your search and identify individuals who can take control and lead calmly through the storm.

We can't foresee the future even under the best of circumstances, but crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic illustrate just how little control we truly have. It's an uncomfortable realization. The good news is that we can assuage anxiety—our own and others'—by focusing on the things we can influence: our people, our perspective, and our approach moving forward.

Interview of The Week

This week we discuss data and polling and the media's use of misleading forecasts to report on elections with Dr. John Johnson. John is the author of the book Everydata: The Misinformation Hidden in the Little Data You Consume Every Day. John received his Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his BA in economics, with the highest distinction, from the University of Rochester. He is the founder and CEO of Edgeworth Economics, a world-class economic consulting firm, and Edgeworth Analytics, a company focused on using data analysis in human resources and other business services. As an expert on interpreting data, John has taught at Georgetown University and has been published in numerous books, journals, and magazines. 

Rhett Power was recently named the 2018 Best Small Business Coach in the U.S., joined Marshall Goldsmith's 100 Coaches, and was named the #1 Thought Leader on Entrepreneurship by Thinkers360. He is CEO of Power Coaching and Consulting in Washington, DC, and hosts Power Lunch Live, one of the most popular business talk shows on LinkedIn's live platform. Check out his fantastic line up of guests and listen to past episodes at www.powerlunch.live.

If you enjoyed this article, here are a few other ways to connect with Rhett. You can read his regular columns on Inc. Magazine, Forbes, and Thrive Global. For speaking and coaching inquiries, please email [email protected].

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