LEADING THROUGH THE SPRINGBOARD: WHY GREAT LEADERS DON’T ELIMINATE STRESS—THEY HARNESS IT

Abstract The author, a stress psychologist and keynote speaker, discusses her insight that “The leaders who perform at the highest levels don’t eliminate stress—they springboard from it.” She describes what she calls the “wellness trap,” in which trying to control stress, even in well‐meaning ways, can lead to more of it. She uncovered the following leadership paradox, that the “responsibilities that create the most stress are often the ones that provide the most meaning and purpose.” She developed the “FEAR[less] Stress Formula,” with three stages, which in her words are: (1) acknowledge the tiger, (2) transfer the energy, (3) set your trajectory. She describes ways to take advantage of spheres of control in your life and work, even if those spheres are limited. In her own experience, this has led to the creation of a nonprofit called GameChanger, which provides opportunities for women to play organized basketball after college, without going professional, at ages ranging from 21 to 78. In moving from “learned helplessness to learned hopefulness,” leaders must, in her words: identify the smallest sphere of control, take imperfect action, reframe setbacks as data collection, and focus on service beyond self.