How to manage stress and channel it productively

How to manage stress and channel it productively

Leaders who are successful don’t avoid stress. They master it.

APRIL is Stress Awareness Month. Many experts will share advice on how best to avoid the negative impact that stress can have on your business performance.

James Disney-May, a leading business strategist and advisor, says that the best approach to stress is to accept its unavoidable nature and to learn how to master it.

James said, “Stress is a constant in business and it shapes how leaders perform under pressure. Entrepreneurs, executives and investors must constantly navigate uncertainty, competition and high stakes decision making. It can be exhausting and frustrating to try to achieve targets, manage risk, and maintain performance. Stress can affect both your mental and physical health if it is not addressed.

Instead of seeing stress as a danger, successful leaders know that it is a sign that they are pushing boundaries. It’s important to learn how to use stress productively.

James highlighted that stress can lead to burnout, poor decisions, and even long-term harm if it is not managed properly. When properly channelled, stress can sharpen focus, improve performance and prevent complacency.

He said that when stress is managed properly, it can be used to improve decision-making and clarity. Leaders who control their stress, rather than letting it rule them, gain an advantage.

James gives six strategies to help you stay focused, make good decisions and perform well.

1. Accept stress as a part of your job

“Stress doesn’t mean failure, it’s just a byproduct. Entrepreneurs and investors work in an environment of uncertainty and high stakes. Leaders can manage stress by accepting it as part of the business process, rather than being consumed by it. Stress can be beneficial for alertness and focus, but if it exceeds a certain threshold then it will lead to poor decision-making and lowered performance. Leaders who are at their best don’t waste time resisting stress. They focus instead on what they have control over.

“A CEO managing a high-stakes launch of a product must anticipate challenges at the last minute and be flexible rather than reactive.” Investors who are navigating the market volatility should not panic, but rather accept that fluctuations are a part of their financial landscape.

2. Prioritise decisions based on impact

Stress increases when leaders believe that everything is urgent. Reality is, not all problems are equal. By categorizing challenges as urgent, important, but not immediately, and deferrable, leaders can maintain control of their workload, rather than reacting under pressure. The Eisenhower Matrix, an excellent tool to filter priorities, allows leaders to maintain control. Prioritizing high-impact decisions over reactive and low-impact tasks is a good idea. By stepping back and assessing the real impact, leaders can avoid getting trapped in a constant cycle of firefighting.

“For example, a founder of a new business who is overwhelmed by the day-today operations might find that shifting their focus to broader strategy will reduce stress and strengthen the company. Leaders who are successful develop the discipline necessary to manage distractions and effectively allocate their time.

3. Create a Trustworthy, Strong Team

“The burden of leadership is heavier if carried alone.” Delegation doesn’t just mean efficiency; it is essential to maintain focus on the big picture. Leaders who do everything themselves become drained and reactive. They are unable to scale the vision. Micromanagement can increase stress and stall business growth. A great leader empowers his team.

4. Avoid Stress-Driven Decision Making

When pressure increases, decisions can become reactive instead of strategic. You can easily confuse urgency with importance and make decisions based on the immediate benefit rather than the long-term effect. The best leaders know when stress affects their judgement. Leaders often regret their decisions when they make them out of fear or fatigue. “A structured approach, taking a step back, gathering information, and consulting trusted sources, can prevent emotional reactions.”

5. Keep perspective – most problems are temporary

Great leaders know that a bad quarter, market decline, or a failed business deal may seem monumental at the time, but they are only moments. The business cycle fluctuates, and making decisions based on panic only makes things worse. A crisis today is likely to be a footnote in your strategy. “The key is to maintain perspective.”

History is full of examples that prove this. Warren Buffett was steadfast during the 2008 financial crises, transforming short-term chaos in the market into an opportunity. “A leader who remains calm while others react is the one that will emerge stronger.”

6. Prioritise physical and mental recovery

“Endurance is more important than intensity.” Leaders who work without stopping and treat stress as if it were a race will eventually burnout. The people who are successful do so because they integrate recovery into their daily routine. Burnout can lead to poor decisions, reduced creativity and a loss of perspective. Self-care is a priority for the most successful leaders, not because they are trendy but because their performance directly depends on it.

The individuals who achieve peak performance in any field, be it business, sport, or investment, are those who place as much importance on recovery as they do output.

Smart stress management doesn’t mean working less, but rather working better. Leaders who succeed are not those who avoid stressful situations, but those that master them.