University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
Anxiety at Work
Book

Anxiety at Work

Eight Strategies to Help Teams Build Resilience, Handle Uncertainty, and Get Stuff Done

Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton
HarperBusiness, 2021
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Since the outbreak of COVID-19, companies can no longer expect employees to remain silent about their mental health concerns. Leaders now must take well-being-related issues as seriously as their bottom lines, say work culture experts Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton. The authors share the results of interviews they conducted with thousands of workers over the course of two decades along with leading research into issues of work and well-being. The authors’ insights will inspire and empower leaders to help their teams cope with anxiety and thrive amidst uncertainty.

Summary

Uncertainty triggers anxiety.

Nearly 20% of workers have anxiety disorder diagnoses and regularly high anxiety levels – which were rising already before the pandemic – and these concerns will continue to go up in today’s atmosphere of uncertainty. Mental health problems are overrepresented among younger generations, with more than 50% of millennials and 75% of Gen Z workers citing mental health concerns as the impetus to quit their jobs. Leaders should make workplaces healthier by adapting their leadership styles to support employees’ mental health needs. Leaders need to empower team members to navigate a complex, volatile and rapidly changing world while leveraging their collective intelligence to find solutions to challenges.

These six leadership actions help you reduce the anxiety-triggering effects of uncertainty:

  1. Don’t pretend you have all the answers – Create a culture of learning, in which teams discuss and process the latest developments and news together. 
  2. Don’t micromanage during challenging times – Maintain a curious and open attitude during crises rather than trying to control your...

About the Authors

Co-founders of The Culture Works, Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton wrote the New York Times bestseller The Carrot Principle and the best-selling books Leading with Gratitude and All In.

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