Stress is a common theme in the world of work, but its effects on leaders and managers can be particularly debilitating. Knowing how stress affects leaders can be the key to coping with situations that continually pressure their mental well-being.
It is not difficult to understand the cause. The high levels of stress to which leaders are subjected, coupled with high expectations of their performance, are some of the factors that can negatively impact the health and well-being of managers.
In fact, according to a study, 72% of leaders in large companies have experienced mental health problems due to stress, and 63% of them report suffering from burnout.
These alarming figures reveal the urgent need to address stress by providing effective stress management strategies to take care of mental health in top management positions,
If you want to know more about how stress affects leaders, we encourage you to download our resource on caring for the mental health of leaders, which will provide your management team with essential tools for their well-being. Prioritise mental health in your company and ensure stronger, more resilient leadership with just one click.
Factors contributing to stress in leaders
Although there can be many causes of stress and individual leaders may experience different reasons for feeling pressure, consistent patterns have been observed in the factors contributing to stress in leadership roles. The following section explores these aspects and how they affect leaders’ day-to-day performance.
1. High expectations and responsibility
Leaders often face pressure to meet high expectations, both their own and the organisation’s. This pressure can be overwhelming and contributes significantly to symptoms of work-related stress.
As Gabriele Murrone, Co-founder and CPO at ifeel, points out,
“Expectations are always very high. It is crucial to focus on the goals that will have the greatest impact and learn to say no when necessary, to protect our mental health”.
2. Stigma about vulnerability
The stigma associated with mental health in business can deter leaders from seeking help. Admitting to having a mental health problem can be perceived as a weakness, which can increase stress and loneliness.
Martin Villanueva, Co-founder and COO at ifeel, points out that:
“Mental health is the foundation on which everything else rests. It helps us relate to others and improves our self-esteem.“
3. The culture of working overtime
The belief that longer hours translate into greater success is especially prevalent among leaders. The pressure to ‘lead by example’ causes many managers to reduce their hours of rest, increasing the likelihood of developing burnout symptoms.
4. Uncertainty and crisis
Among other things, the pandemic and the social changes that have developed since then have highlighted the effects that times of crisis and uncertainty can have on large corporations.
In this sense, leaders must have a crisis management plan in place to deal with this turbulence and keep the company on its feet, which increases levels of stress and anxiety.
How stress affects leaders: physical vs psychological effects
Stress can have devastating impacts on the physical and mental health of leaders. Here are some of the most common effects:
| Physical effects | Psychological effects |
| Heart problems | Anxiety at work |
| Insomnia | Depression |
| Chronic fatigue | Burnout |
| Gastrointestinal disorders | Difficulty concentrating |
The facts don’t lie
When discussing mental health at work, it is common to focus on the pursuit of employee well-being. However, taking care of mental health in senior management positions is also crucial.
Data and statistics show how stress affects leaders and managers, highlighting the importance of including them in the mental wellbeing solutions that are developed in companies. Let’s look at some data:
Statistics show that 50% of resignations in managerial positions in 2023 were due to work-related stress. In addition, 96% of managers consider the inclusion of mental well-being solutions in companies to be crucial.
Ifeel’s internal data also showed:
Stress management strategies for leaders
Nurturing leaders within an organisation is essential, as they are the engine that drives the team towards success. A leader who receives support and tools to manage their role effectively is more likely to perform optimally, face challenges with clarity, lead with empathy, and make good decisions.
That’s why we encourage you to download our resource on how to look after leaders’ mental health. You will learn all about how stress affects leaders, so you can provide your management team with essential tools for their well-being.
In addition, you can implement the following strategies:
1. Self-care and balance
It is essential to prioritise self-care at work. This includes getting adequate rest, maintaining a balanced diet, exercising, and practising relaxation techniques such as meditation or deep breathing.
2. Set boundaries
Learning to say ‘no’ and establishing a clear boundary between work and personal life is vital. This may involve setting specific working hours and switching off completely outside those hours.
3. Foster a supportive culture
Creating an environment of psychological safety that promotes openness and honest communication about mental health is crucial. This includes encouraging participation in well-being solutions and offering mental health resources.
4. Developing coping skills
Leaders need to have skills to manage stress and pressure. This may include stress management techniques, problem-solving, and time management.
5. Tap into professional support resources
Seeking professional help is one of the best ways to deal with difficulties. Mental well-being solutions for enterprises, such as those provided by ifeel, can provide personalised strategies to improve mental health and break down related stigmas.
Practical Exercise: Evaluating leaders’ well-being
Here is a practical exercise that can help leaders assess their well-being to identify areas where they need support. To do this, follow these instructions:
- Draw a large circle on a sheet of paper, representing the total time available daily.
- Divide the circle according to the different important areas (family, work, hobbies, rest, etc.), assigning a percentage of time to each area.
- Reflect on the following questions:
- Am I dedicating enough time to each area?
- Which area am I prioritising?
- Am I satisfied with this distribution?
- What actions can I take to optimise the distribution of my time?
This exercise can reveal imbalances in time distribution and help identify areas that need more attention to improve overall well-being.
Unlocking teams’ potential
At ifeel, understanding how stress affects leaders is a top priority in business. It affects their ability to perform effectively and directly impacts the work environment and the company’s overall performance. Therefore, it is essential to adopt strategies that promote mental well-being at individual and organisational levels.
To assist in this process, our team of psychologists specialising in mental well-being has developed a mental well-being program for companies aimed at helping companies enhance employee engagement and boost productivity.
This collaboration allows HR managers to receive personalised, data-based advice on the most effective measures for detecting employee mental health issues and assessing the workplace climate. It’s the best way to understand their needs.
Moreover, ifeel’s corporate mental well-being solution offers employees a structured mental health care service tailored to their needs at any given time.
We hope you found this article on how stress affects leaders interesting. If you want more information about our mental well-being solution for companies, simply request it, and we will contact your team soon.
