8 Ways Leaders Can Reduce Anxiety on the Job CEOs need a great plan in place -- and the expectation that sometimes, nothing goes as planned.
By Stan Popovich Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Sometimes, fear and anxiety can overwhelm us when we have to be a leader. Being a leader requires the ability to lead people so that you can have a profitable business. This can sometimes be scary and stressful.
Here are eight tips on how not to let stress and anxiety get in your way to becoming an effective manager.
Related: How Successful People Manage Stress
1. Know your priorities.
The first thing a person must understand is that you need to know what the task is that needs to be accomplished. Knowing what you must do is important and can save you a lot of time and stress. It would be a waste of time if you performed a task for a few weeks and realized that you didn't need to channel all that energy in the wrong direction.
2. Develop a strategy.
Learn to develop a plan on how to accomplish the task. Write down the steps that your team needs to complete in order to reach the goal. This will save you a lot of time in the long run and reduce your stress and anxiety.
3. Take action.
Once you know what you need to do, the next step is to perform the actions that are required to get the job done. This will help reduce the stress and anxiety of rushing at the last minute to meet a deadline.
4. Communicate clearly.
It is important that everyone on the team is on the same wavelength. For instance, your company needs to develop a new advertising campaign, and your team is to present the board on how to go about it. The last thing you want is to have your team members assume that they know what is needed and have them do their own thing. Talk with your team members daily to be sure everything is being done according to plan.
Related: 5 Steps to Providing Constructive Criticism
5. Prepare for unexpected surprises.
Sometimes, things happened that might take everyone by surprise. Be flexible, and when expected things happen learn to deal with them immediately. For example, some members of the team become sick and are unable to do the tasks. Instead of getting all stressed out, just reassign some of the tasks to other people. Being prepared for surprises is important when being a leader.
6. Stay on top of everything.
Do what you can today. Do not put things off when you can do them right away. You never know when something may come up that might need your immediate attention. Being efficient on a daily basis can prevent future problems down the road.
7. Learn from your mistakes.
It is important that you learn from your mistakes when being a leader. Talk to others and see how you can improve your leadership skills. If something goes wrong, get your team members to help you out. Being an effective leader takes a lot of work and practice. The key is to continuously improve and to be willing to take advice from others.
8. Don't assume anything.
Finally, do not assume anything when being an effective leader. Ask questions, and be aware of what is happening under your watch. If a problem comes up, then deal with it right away. Communicating with your other team members is vital in having a successful business -- and don't assume that everything will go according to plan.
Related: 8 Ways to Think Like an Entrepreneur
