by Justin Standfield
The best time to address workplace stress isn’t when your team is already overwhelmed – it’s before stress becomes a problem. While most advice focuses on managing existing stress, savvy leaders know that prevention is more powerful than cure.
As a leadership development specialist, I’ve observed hundreds of teams across different industries. The pattern is clear: teams with the highest resilience share one thing in common – managers who build stress prevention into their daily leadership habits.
The most damaging workplace stressors aren’t what most managers expect. While heavy workloads and tight deadlines often get the blame, research shows that how work is managed has a far greater impact on employee stress levels. The key triggers are:
- Uncertainty about expectations and priorities
- Lack of control over work methods and environment
- Missing recognition for effort (not just results)
- Limited growth opportunities
- Poor communication during change
- Toxic team dynamics
What’s striking about this list? Every single factor falls directly under a manager’s influence. While organisational policies matter, your day-to-day leadership decisions have more immediate impact on your team’s stress levels than any corporate wellness programme.
A few years back, the pandemic forced many organisations to finally prioritise employee wellbeing, leading to investments in wellness apps, stress management workshops, support packages and employee assistance programmes (EAPs). But here’s what the data shows: while these resources are valuable, they’re not what employees say helps them most with stress. In our leadership development work at Incendo, we’ve found that the most effective stress management happens through daily interactions between managers and their teams.
Think about it: a wellness app can teach breathing techniques, but can it clarify confusing priorities? An EAP can provide counselling, but can it fix a toxic team dynamic? Only you, as a manager, can address these root causes of workplace stress.
Here are seven daily leadership habits that the most effective managers use to prevent team stress. Each habit takes minimal time but creates maximum impact when practised consistently.
1. Protect Focus Time (target: work overload)
- Block out mandatory “zero work” periods in team calendars
- Make these blocks visible and sacred – no meeting bookings allowed
- For global teams: create a “quiet hours” policy that respects all time zones
- Critical step: model this yourself by keeping your own zero-work time visible and inviolate
2. Implement “Reset Rituals” (target: boundary blur)
- Start each day with a 10-minute team planning session
- End each day with a clear “shutdown ritual”
- For remote teams: use virtual check-ins to create work/home transitions
- Example ritual: “Today’s priorities are set, tomorrow’s are drafted, I’m done for today”
3. Reset Performance Standards (target: perfectionism)
- Define what “good enough” looks like for different types of work
- Create a “speed vs. perfection” decision matrix with your team
- Explicitly give permission to deliver at 80% when appropriate
- Share your own “good enough” moments to role model and normalise this approach
4. Build Recovery Into Projects (target: burnout)
- Schedule buffer days between major deadlines
- Rotate high-intensity tasks among team members
- Include “recovery time” in project plans
- Track energy levels alongside progress metrics
5. Transform 1:1s Into Stress Safety Valves
- Schedule regular 1:1 check-ins that can’t be cancelled
- Use the “energy check” technique: “On a scale of 1-10, how’s your energy today?”
- Create action plans for energy scores below 6
- Practise “stress spotting”: notice changes in communication patterns, work quality or engagement
6. Make Time Off Sacred
- Track holiday/annual leave days as a leading indicator of burnout
- Create coverage plans that truly allow people to disconnect
- Ban work communications during their time off
- Celebrate rest as a performance enhancer, not a necessary evil
7. Leverage Support Resources Strategically
- Position your EAP as a strength, not a last resort
- Normalise support-seeking by sharing your own experiences with wellbeing resources
- Connect team members with mindfulness training and other tools that build long-term resilience
- Remember: these resources complement good management – they don’t replace it
“The key to success with these habits isn’t perfection – it’s consistency.”
In terms of making these habits stick, I suggest that you start by:
- Choosing one habit to implement this week
- Scheduling specific times for each habit (e.g., “Reset Rituals” at 9am and 5pm)
- Tracking your progress for 21 days
- Adding a new habit every two weeks
- Measuring impact through regular team energy checks
Remember: These aren’t just “nice to have” leadership practices. They’re essential daily habits that determine whether your team burns out or thrives under pressure.
Here are my recommended next steps for you:
- Share these habits with your team today
- Choose your starting habit
- Schedule a team discussion about which habits would help most
- Try this 5-minute stress relieving guided meditation as a team
- Contact us to learn more about building resilient teams through leadership development and mindfulness training
The most successful managers don’t wait for stress to become a problem. They build these preventative habits into their daily leadership practice. Which habit will you start with today?
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