The Stress of Leadership
Have you ever felt stressed out, burned out, and maxed out? Navigating the challenges of a multigenerational workforce with consistent pressures from all sides can create seemingly never-ending stress. Some leaders may wonder, “how do I lead when I’m not feeling my best?”
The Power Paradox and Burnout Risk
It’s important for leaders to have self-awareness and recognize potential imbalances in the psychological power paradox that is made up of helpfulness and assertiveness. Healthcare leaders tend to be high in helpfulness and low in assertiveness. This leads to being self-sacrificing, which can propel a person into burnout or even compassion fatigue.
Then, when under significant amounts of stress, some leaders may even experience a “stress flip.” This is where stress causes an individual who is self-sacrificing to flip to a behavior pattern of being dominant and self-centered – the exact opposite of who they are under normal circumstances. Then, when the stress subsides, that person goes back to being self-sacrificing, which starts the process to burnout and compassion fatigue again.
Subheading: Raising Assertiveness for Balance
How can you raise your assertiveness to balance out your helpfulness?
- Set healthy boundaries in both your personal and professional life.
- Learn to say “no” when you are already overwhelmed, and simply offer an alternative solution.
- Assert your own wants, needs, and desires so that the people around you understand what is important to you and respect your boundaries.
The Benefits of Balance
The good news when you use these strategies and become more balanced in the Power Paradox? The stress flip ceases to exist, and you feel better about yourself with less probability of experiencing burnout and compassion fatigue. AND…You can actually help more people when you learn to help yourself as well.
For those leaders who are self-sacrificing, remember this: What you allow, you teach.
By incorporating assertiveness training into your mental health resilience program and corporate wellness initiatives, you can empower your leaders to maintain a healthier work-life balance and avoid burnout.
