HOW CAN LEADERS USE STRESS TO DEVELOP THEIR SKILLS

Stress is a term that is used very often in connection with leadership. It is the natural instinctive response of the living organism to an unexpected stimulus or long-term burden. Although stress can manifest itself on different levels - mental, emotional, social and physical - mechanisms that govern the way we deal with the situation are primarily neurological. This means that regardless of whether we are dealing with poor communication in a collective, a financial crisis or a sleep problem, the common denominator is the dysfunction of our nervous system. Current approaches to work with stress are mainly focused on the mental and rational side of the problems, often ignoring the underlying physiological factors. While these approaches can be very sophisticated and attractive, they often fail to address and resolve deeper causes of problems. To do this, it is important to have both a good theoretical description of the functioning of our nervous system and a repertoire of techniques that will allow us to work with it effectively and consciously. The following article offers a simplified description of the nervous system and presents the main principles by which its functioning can be affected in the desired direction. Conscious work with our nervous system can result in improved cognitive and decision-making skills, increased ability to recognize emotional states both in ourselves and others, and to communicate clearly. Harmonizing the nervous system also leads to an improvement in our health and more effective functioning in stress situations.