Leadership in Action: Stress and the Eye of the Beholder

IN CONTROL

In an ideal world, Joe would be allowed to select individuals whose personal qualities equip them to deal well with stress. Since they are confident they can cope with taxing situations, these individuals experience lower stress because they perceive situations as less threatening.

Those who experience lower stress believe that they themselves, not external forces, control their lives. They are optimistic and believe they have the ability to improve themselves. Furthermore, they are not unduly bothered by ambiguity and uncertainty.

When he picked Sandra as his nutritionist, Joe approached this ideal. Sandra possessed a high amount of self-esteem and self-objectivity. In her work, she tended to be collaborative, open to new ideas, and ...