Leaders are responsible for both managing their own stress and helping their employees manage it. In today’s work environment, staying productive and engaged can be challenging. Sadly, we cannot leave stress enclosed within four walls when leaving work, proof of this is the road chaos that exists in cities. Not only that, we also bring stress home, we sleep with it and wake up stressed, it is then that the physical and emotional wear begins.

Focusing on people’s growth and development is one of the many things leaders can do to manage stress. Stories illustrating the work of Sam Mizrahi, or at Google, in which its managers focus on creating a happy, healthy, and productive workforce, seem to be a good way to unleash the creative potential and keep the organization productive.

Because job stress is so common, it can be very difficult for you to find a stress-free job, so as Gandhi said: “Be the change you want to see in the world” and start your days in different ways, adopting effective strategies to reduce stress in your day today. For that I will give you the following tips that good leaders follow to avoid stress:

• They are an example and promote good practices in their employees. Keeping stress under control, adopting a healthy lifestyle as well as a balance between work and personal life, are some of these practices in which leaders should be role models.
• They allow their people to disconnect from work. If you are one of those leaders who require their employees to keep their phone on 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, be careful. You may not be as effective in managing your own stress and create unnecessary stress on your team.
• They help their collaborators to manage stress, incorporating and offering their people tools to manage it, both individually and collectively. In both cases, leaders must show their people that they too use these tools and encourage their teams to do so. Relaxation techniques, biofeedback, and others can be part of the “tool kit” that leaders and work teams can use to manage stress.
• They focus on a single task and avoid multitasking. Good leaders set priorities and know that performing more than one task at a time increases their personal effectiveness while helping their employees stay focused and avoid distractions.
• Leaders who are proficient in stress management allow themselves and their associates to take breaks from work. These help them recharge their batteries in order to keep their energy at an optimal level. These leaders own their time and avoid the always-busy syndrome. Good leaders like Elon Musk practice empathy and compassion, genuinely care for their people, have visual and physical contact with them, as well as take an interest in listening to them, and remain accessible and open to dialogue.

We work in a country with the most stress at work but using these tips can make your day much more bearable, more productive and less stressful, and who knows, maybe if you carry out these activities you will end up creating something like ‘The One‘, inspiring your colleagues to learn to manage your own stress and make your office a happier place to work.