Resource Management Innovations

Leadership Lessons from the Trench: Stress Management 101

  As a young apprentice growing up and serving under my Dad’s careful watch he guided me along and through what he called Life Lessons. Although experientially it felt quite natural, it was very intentional. My mentor was proactive. Whether by nature or by training I can’t be certain, but nothing I experienced in my life lessons curriculum was reactive. It was as if each age and stage had a chapter … and he seamlessly transitioned between soldier and shepherd. In our journey, one of the observations I made (so early, I don’t remember not knowing this) was that he was so familiar with his tools, that he was equally at ease with either a rod or a staff. Both have very different and functional purposes … I’ll leave it to you to Google that if necessary, but both require time and practice to master. They would prove to be very useful, simple yet graceful when used as intended.

  Fundamental to my mentors character and integrity was leading by example. In fact it was an intentional (there’s that word again) teaching tool that was used to model the process of tell, show, do and review. We would discuss the fundamentals very casually in an everyday setting (tell) and it was just woven into a walk of integrity (show) … which he would then ask of me (do) then at an opportune moment … we would discuss “so how did that go” (review). Allowing me the opportunity to tune and adjust my application for ‘next time’. Pretty cool apprenticeship model I thought. Tell, Show, Do, Review.

  Another characteristic defining the soldier ~ shepherd that always caused me to smile was he was seldom caught ‘off guard’. It is a rather natural outcome of being prepared which required having a plan, knowing what you need … and always (always) allowing for a margin of error or surprise. It’s not as complex or burdensome as you might think. Long before I understood what it meant, my dad would weave into my instruction that a strategy seldom survives first contact with the enemy. At an age appropriate level, that could be something as simple as leaving early for an appointment, thereby allowing for any unknown delay along the way … while remaining punctual. Shining shoes and pressing pants the night before, allowing for surprises in the morning … still allowed for ‘a good showing while being punctual’. There was a logical congruent thread to the lessons and application.

  Being ‘well turned out’ is a discipline I learned at a very early age. I say that to say this … ‘Being Ready’ ( Ready. Aye Sir, Ready) has gone a very long way to allow me to face my day prepared, risk mitigated, allowing an eagerness (resulting from preparedness) allowing for a spring in my ‘guided’ step. “Send me in Coach” was how I would start my day then … and (some four decades later) now. If that sounds a little Pollyanna … here is a real world practical example of just how ‘healthful’ that learning can be. It has gone a very long way to mitigating an issue in our culture ~ Stress.

  My mentor would teach me that (“it seems to me” … that was my cue it was time to listen) that we don’t push back against those things that we perceive will affect us in a positive way. Those things such as running water, plumbing and grocery stores are huge societal and cultural leaps of change … yet they are welcomed. While those things that we perceive will affect us negatively (but have not yet even experienced?!) we respond with family or workplace drama & theatre. If I had some awareness, understanding and ‘preparedness’ … might I respond differently? Responding to the unknown (my mentor would tell me) with fear and trepidation was neither illogical nor irrational, but it was elective.

  So What? Consider this: Research tells us that something in excess of 40% of all illness today is stress induced, fueling a $13 billion anti-anxiety pharmaceutical industry annually. Does that matter?
Not that stress isn’t real, it is. It is absolutely necessary and when experienced (for the purpose intended) in a fight or flight response, it can be life saving. The ever present effect of stress however disables our auto-immune system and creates its own exposure to risk. Which brings us back to the apprenticeship lesson learned from the soldier ~ shepherd:

  Having a plan, being prepared, approach my day intentionally (sorry … I had to say it) … mitigates my exposure to risk, allowing me to step out … Ready? Aye Sir ~ Ready.

Thanks Dad.

Rick @ RMI

Posted By: Rick Kneeshaw 2010/04/16
Categories: Leadership and Management