Reinterpreting Stress

One day we watched a man bounce a soccer ball from foot to foot, foot to head, knee to knee. He even spun around several times and still kept the ball in the air. As we watched, he must have bounced it one hundred times before he missed and the ball hit the ground. Truly a master at work.

But when the ball dropped, he swore, kicked the ball hard, and stamped his foot. Learning to perform well can be frustrating, even for masters. It is hard, and often very stressful, work. When under stress, the body sends out signals. Based on these cues--aches, pains, and strains--we learn how we are doing. We read the signals from physical exertion and find ways to modify our beliefs about our capabilities when we feel those stress signals. 

You can do this by enhancing your physical stamina through exercise, by using relaxation techniques, or by reminding yourself that this is hard work and it is natural for you to feel tired or irritable. However you respond, it is important that you not interpret the psychological or physical stress as a lack of ability. Do not allow your body to convince your mind that you cannot master leadership. 

These same principles can be applied to assisting others in increasing their self-confidence. Having mastered a performance yourself, you might volunteer to help others learn it as well. You might offer them words of encouragement and help them to understand that stress is a natural part of the learning process.

- James M. Kouzes & Barry Z. Posner

Credibility