Reaction to stress is a natural and instinctual response to an imminent danger. Reactions to stress go back to the roots of human evolution and contributed, millenniums ago, to the survival of the species. 

I emphasize the importance of managers’ archaic and emotional responses at work: irritability, aggressiveness at work, disproportioned reactions, anger, anxiety, fear or sadness are body & emotional expressions of stress at work. Humans face hundreds of daily situations with an arsenal of prehistoric responses.  See how you react when driving your vehicle when someone “fishtails” you, when you receive an order that is too authoritative or when things are not going as expected. 

The aim is not, of course, to call managers prehistoric people. The aim is simply to recognize that Man is first governed by his archaic reactions before being governed by his mental processes. 

Biologically, the reaction corresponds to the punctual discharge of adrenaline and cortisol metabolic hormone allowing temporary adaptations known as hide or freeze, run or fight. 

In nature, these periods of adaptation are followed by periods of calm & stretch. 

When working on stress, we like to explore that instinctual reactivity with leaders & managers. Through identification of specific sources of stress, managers learn how to recognize their first reactions, then anticipate and smoothly build appropriate attitudes and Resilience.  

Preventing burn out is also about recognizing the primary reactive center in one-self, then recognizing central motivators at the very core of everyone’s vital energy!  

 Pascal Ledouble
Consultant & Coach