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“URGENT! My client changed plans and added to the scope of work. I need help ASAP!”

The stress behind the request was palpable.

Why would this otherwise calm, take-charge, and get-it-done kind of person be hitting this level of stress?

It turns out she was reflecting the pressure of her environment. It was affecting her so much that she was losing touch with her biggest strength: the ability to bring calm to challenging situations.

She was not being her true self. Her mind and body were stressed, and it affected everyone else.

If a person lives with this type of stress long enough, it can have long-term effects on their health. This is why it is important to know your strengths and be true to them as much as possible.

Another Example

Maybe you are the opposite. Your normal strengths are geared toward pushing forward. You move swiftly, and you speak directly. But, in an effort to adjust to your environment, you find yourself agreeing to things you don’t want to agree with and not saying things you know you should be saying. You are holding back when you should be pushing forward.

Ironically, this has the same stress effect. Either way, it is an inward battle against yourself, and it will take a toll on your mind, body, and relationships.

How can you lessen the impact of environmental stress?

Anticipate the Challenges

If you take time on the front end to make a list of risks and challenges, this gives you time to come up with a Plan B in advance. If you anticipate there will be changes, just knowing this is often enough to curb the stress. If you know your team will hit obstacles, you can proactively alleviate them to a large degree.

Control Your Response

When you are in a situation that is pulling you beyond your strengths zone, pause and take a deep breath. Ask yourself, “How can I respond to this in a way that is both respectful of others and true to my strengths?”

If your first strength is calm, pause just long enough to regain that sense, and then attack the issue from a source of calm strength.

If your first strength is swift, direct action, consider what small step you can take that will move the team forward without creating a wake.

Tailor Your Actions and Communications

There are times when you will need to adjust speed up or down or communicate in a modified way from what is ideal for you. These are good adjustments. They respect those with whom you are interacting but still allow you to operate within the boundaries of your strengths.

Pay Attention to Your Inner Strengths Indicator

You, innately, know when you are stepping outside your strengths zone. Your heart rate rises, your hands clench, your energy changes, and your confidence breaks. This means you are allowing outside circumstances to overpower your strengths. When that happens, you lose the power to be effective. Pay attention to that little signal inside you that feels the stress, and recenter yourself in your strengths.

Remember, you can’t control the other person’s actions, but you can control your response. And that response needs to come from your strengths zone.

Support Your Team in Their Strengths

It is likely that someone on your team is not the same as you. You may push, and they may pull back. This is where the tension begins. When you sense this, tailor your actions and communications accordingly to a point where you can both be comfortable in working together.

Conclusion

A certain level of stress is good. But operating beyond your limits for a long period of time is not only ineffective; it is dangerous. You can control this to a large degree by knowing your strengths and the strengths of others.

For valuable resources on Leadership Strengths and Tools, click here.

Deb Ingino is a highly sought-after executive coach, mentor, consultant, and speaker worldwide. Deb is well versed in business operations and in the importance of asking key questions most business leaders won’t ask themselves. She brings deep experience in leadership development, strategy, high performance team building and effective communication. She has a passion for leading people to discover and maximize their strengths as well as those of fellow team members, while offering advanced strategies to achieve high performance. Deb is the perfect fit if you’re ready to take your leadership and impact to the next level!