The Stress of Leadership: Richard Jennings

Nearly seven in 10 business leaders are struggling with stress in the workplace according to a recent study. Leadership pressure is a huge responsibility and one which shouldn’t be taken lightly by either the leader themselves or those supporting them. Too much pressure applied to an underprepared and unsupported leader can result in huge implications for the leader themselves, their team and their business. Richard Jennings, Customer Services Director at YOPA Property gave 5 tips for leaders dealing with being the one that others look to...

I thought long and hard before trying my hand at writing my first “Hot Topic”, as I’m certainly not perfect and often find I forget to “practice what I preach”. My point here is that we are all human and are prone to making mistakes- and that’s actually okay. The key is to be reflective and be honest with yourself to avoid making the same mistakes repeatedly!

Here are a few things about leadership that I have learned from my colleagues, former managers, as well as from reading.

1.       Look after yourself: Get some rest, exercise, have some fun with friends and family, eat well, stay hydrated! No one copes with stressful situations or thinks clearly if they are not looking after their body and mind. 

2.       Build a team with a shared vision: Understand what the vision and strategy is for your business and how/where you and your team need to add value. Make sure you engage your team on this, so you are all aware what it is you want to achieve, why it is important and how you plan to realise your goals together. You’ll find it easier to ask your team to step up or cope with change if they are engaged from the outset and feel part of shaping their goals. 

3.       Set your team clear targets and responsibilities: Make sure everyone understands what is expected of them in advance and set clear goals (Objectives and Key Results (OKRs are a great tool to use). This will allow you to delegate where needed and allow people to own their bit of the vision. Also, don’t forget to agree these with your manager/COO/board for yourself (do that first). 

4.       Don’t avoid asking for help: Asking for help can feel tough, but it’s amazing what happens when you do! You can ask for help, thoughts, ideas and opinions from your team, your manager, peers, friends, family or business networks. It helps to rationalise thoughts and sometimes you get a golden nugget idea from the most unusual of sources!

5.       Seek out a mentor: This can be a former colleague, a previous manager, a friend, or someone you respect in the workplace who can give you honest and fair feedback without bias. It’s good to talk and work through your challenges with someone who is there to listen, not judge, and spark some creative thought.

You can read more on this subject in the latest issue of Niche Magazine.