Having trouble reading this? Click here to view in your browser.     Dear Reader, One word has suddenly appeared in nearly every conversation with my executive coaching clients: stress. Everyone is aware of increased stress. For many, stress is the dominant experience. Let's examine the mechanism, symptoms, and treatments. Stress is a word imported from engineering, where it refers to pressure sufficient to cause a body to deform. High stress can permanently alter the form and function of the material bearing the load, even to the point of destruction. No wonder that endocrinologist Hans Selye chose stress to describe the reactions of lab rats to his injections of what would later be labeled stress hormones: cortisol, adrenaline, etc. You and I do not need an injection to experience the symptoms of stress; we make plenty of these hormones ourselves. Some immediate symptoms of excessive emotional stress are: Headache Memory Loss Read the rest of this entry »       Abraham Lincoln called it his melancholia. Winston Churchill had “black dog days.” Today, we refer to it as depression. Recently, I noticed that I was lethargic, frequently irritated, and found most thoughts of the future unappealing. At first, I was sure the circumstances were the cause. If you look closely enough at any situation flaws can be found and fears justified. Some studies have shown that people diagnosed as depressed do, in fact, see things more clearly. Unfortunately, I was not reacting to better evidence. I noticed that I was waking-up into this mood, that even pleasant experiences offered only read more...         Your disposition in this moment constrains the actions you might take in the next. If you are sitting at a desk you cannot immediately leap forward. If you are angry, you... Continue reading »   Over ten years ago, I conducted a group coaching program for executives. The participants got fantastic results and I got some nice publicity, including the cover of the... Continue reading »   I was listening to a clever and timely story on NPR this morning about the renewed prevalence of the hackneyed imperative, "Do more with less." This is widely interpreted... Continue reading »       Email this to the best executive you know!       © Tony Mayo except as otherwise noted. Click here to get your free Subscription.