Join Our 5-Day Managing Stress Challenge
Learn to Manage Work Stress Before It Turns Into Burnout
Over Half of Managers Are Burning Out
Feeling stretched thin at work? You’re not alone – and if you’re in a leadership role, you might be feeling it more than most.
According to Microsoft’s 2022 Work Trend Index, over half of managers (53%) report experiencing burnout, outpacing burnout rates among employees overall.
And younger generations are noticing the strain.
A recent survey by Robert Walters found that 52% of Gen Z professionals are actively avoiding management positions due to perceived stress and insufficient rewards – a trend dubbed “conscious unbossing” that threatens the future leadership pipeline.
There’s no avoiding the fact that leadership and stress go hand in hand. But many leaders don’t realize how stress is showing up in their body, habits, and performance until it’s already taking a toll – on themselves, and their teams.
But we believe stress isn’t simply something to be endured without hope – or something you have to power through with sheer force of will.
That’s why we’re introducing our new 5-Day Managing Stress Challenge – a practical, supportive series designed to help you recognize where you might be pushing past your limits, and offer simple, sustainable ways to lead yourself through stress with more intention, calm, and control.
The challenge starts MONDAY (June 2). Be sure you’re subscribed to participate.
What You’ll Get From This Challenge:
Each day of this 5-day experience tackles a specific aspect of stress management for leaders. By the end, you’ll have built a comprehensive toolkit for recognizing and managing stress in yourself. (And we’ll be talking about your team later on in this series too.)
Here’s what we’ll help you master:
✅ Build awareness of your personal stress signals before they derail your day
✅ Identify and shift your habitual stress reactions that may be hurting your leadership
✅ Challenge the internal narratives that amplify pressure unnecessarily
✅ Focus your energy on what’s actually within your control
✅ Create ways to reset after periods of stress for more sustainable leadership
Here’s What to Expect:
Day 1: Notice Your Stress Signals – Discover how to catch your early warning signs – the little things your body or mood does when stress starts creeping in – so you can step in sooner to prevent a downward spiral.
Day 2: Get Honest About How You Cope – Learn to identify your go-to stress reactions (like micromanaging or shutting down) without judgment, so you have more choice in the moment when pressure hits.
Day 3: Listen to the Story in Your Head – Start to recognize and challenge the unhelpful narratives that fuel your stress fire, replacing them with more balanced perspectives that help you lead effectively.
Day 4: Sort What’s Yours to Carry – Distinguish between what’s actually in your control and what isn’t, so you can focus your limited energy where it truly matters.
Day 5: Notice How You Recover (or Don’t) – Reflect on how (or whether) you reset after periods of stress – and why intentional recovery is essential for sustainable leadership.
How to Join This Challenge:
If you’re a paying subscriber, you’re already set – the challenge will arrive in your inbox automatically.
Free subscribers will have access to Day 1 and previews of subsequent days. To participate fully, you’ll need to upgrade your subscription.
Still a free subscriber? Claim your welcome discount to save 30% on an annual subscription.
Upgrading will give you access to this Managing Stress Challenge plus our complete leadership development archive, including articles on:
Leading with emotional intelligence
Navigating workplace change
Earning the respect of your team
Developing resilience as a leader
Managing up to your boss
Developing personal leadership skills
Navigating remote (or hybrid) leadership
Helping team members stay productive
See You Monday
I’m excited to tackle stress management with you next week! This is a topic near and dear to my heart, and the challenge is designed to be practical, actionable, and simple to implement – even for busy leaders.
In the meantime, I’m curious – what’s your biggest leadership stress trigger? Is it back-to-back meetings, difficult conversations, or something else entirely? Drop a comment below!
Talk soon,
Carly from the 16Personalities Team
P.S. This new series builds on the Personality Stress Signals Guide we just released to paying subscribers. So if you haven’t grabbed your copy yet, be sure to do so.