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Chicago’s daily commute can drive employees mad, just
ask a psychiatrist who battles the urban jungle and comments "It
takes anywhere from 30 minutes to several centuries--at least
subjectively."
Forbes magazine unveiled their annual list of America’s 40 Most
Stressful Cities and you guessed it, Chicago ranked number one for
the second straight year followed by
Los Angeles,
New York,
my hometown of
Cleveland
and
Providence.
If you are a leader of a radio station or organization in these
metro areas, your staff feels the effects of sinking property
values, high unemployment and prices along with poor social and
ecological environments. These conditions breed fear which
multiplies employee stress.
Many managers cite the overall stress levels as a
major cause of absenteeism as well.
Dr.
Kenneth Greenspan, director of the Centre of Stress Related
Disorders at New York's Presbyterian Hospital, claims that if the
body faces constant stress and does not have opportunity to rest and
renew itself, the resulting effects can be dramatic. He maintains
that stress contributes to 90% of all diseases; over half of all
visits to doctors are stress-related.
What’s a leader to do?
How can a leader reverse the effects of this stress-filled
environment to lead their organization in achieving their mission
and vision?
In
previous posts, I’ve written about how valuable it is for a
leader to surround themselves with courageous, godly counselors to
help them discern wise choices.
One of
those wise counselors for many leaders is noted author Max Lucado.
In his latest book “Fearless,” Max provides a refreshing perspective
about our emotional choices in the midst of stress and fear:
"Fear
may fill our world, but it doesn’t have to fill our hearts. It will
always knock on the door. Just don’t invite it in for dinner, and
for heaven’s sake don’t offer it a bed for the night."
As
Christians seeking leadership effectiveness, Max offers a biblical
approach for us to model leadership courage:
1. Pray
first
2. Easy
Now, Slow down
3. Act on
the stress producing/fearful issue quickly
4.
Compile a “Worry List” and Evaluate Your Worry Categories
5. Focus
on How God Meets Your Need Today
6.
Unleash a “Worry Army” to Battle with You
7. Let
God Be Enough in all Your Life
A timely
read. You may want to use “Fearless”
or another resource as a staff building, burnout prevention tool
this summer as the long summer events months draw near.
What
tools do you use to help your staff overcome stress and fear in the
workplace and daily life?
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With 24 years of experience in corporate and non-profit leadership
positions and almost a generation of experience in listener
supported Christian radio, Mark Kordic helps radio stations across
the country grow income from major donors and pledges.
Before joining Advocace, Mark was the Director of Media Advancement
for CDR Radio Network-The PATH®, the media division of Cedarville
University in Cedarville, OH. At The PATH® he successfully
served in a number of marketing and executive positions, helping
fund network expansion. Kordic also previously served as assistant
pastor at Shawnee Hills Baptist Church in Jamestown, OH.
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