The Stress Effect

Why Smart Leaders Make Dumb Decisions - And What to Do About It

By: Henry L. Thompson

Narrated by: David Drummond

Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Reveals the powerful and undermining effects of stress on good decision making - and what leaders can do about it

The ability to make sound and timely decisions is the mark of a good leader. But when leaders with otherwise strong track records suddenly begin making poor decisions - as seen in the recent corporate scandals that rocked the business world - the impact can be widespread. In The Stress Effect, leadership expert Henry L. Thompson argues that stress is often the real culprit behind this leadership failure: When leaders' stress levels become sufficiently elevated - whether in the boardroom or on the front line of a manufacturing process - their ability to effectively use their emotional intelligence and cognitive ability in tandem to make wise decisions is significantly impaired. Until now, experts have argued that increasing your emotional intelligence will help you cope with and manage stress. This book suggests that stress actually blocks access to your emotional intelligence as well as your cognitive ability, two critical components in the decision-making process. This book:

• Shows how stress adversely affects the performance of even the most savvy leaders
• Reveals the truth about one of the prime factors behind the current failure of leadership
• Offers a solid prescription for building a "stress resilient system" and arms leaders with best practices for managing specific stressors that take the biggest toll on decision-making
• Is written by an award-winning organizational psychologist and leadership consultant whose clients include a roster of Fortune 500 companies

A groundbreaking and insightful resource for leaders, The Stress Effect reopens the dialogue on stress, its effect on decision making, and what to do about it. 

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2010 Henry L. Thompson (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Great book and resource

This book is packed full with stories and research that help you condition your stress under pressure while make sound and timely decisions.

Clinical Leadership material

Excellent content from a well educated and experienced author. Great explanations of what, why, and how as it pertains to the successes and failures of leaders as well as an extremely thorough “how-to” so you can improve these aspects of your own organization and leadership.

Deep understanding how to respond.

We don't have control what happens just how we respond to it. This book helps to understand why our stress reactions happen and the way they do. With this insight we can respond appropriately to the stress.

Great Information

Just as it says... Better understand stress, where it comes from, how to respond, and how to develop capacity. However, it would be best to read and study this text to receive the greatest benefit.

Stress Effective

This is a great book that is packed with all sorts of great information. It not only covers the negative aspects of stress, but also the positive aspects that help make us more resilient. I will definitely be listening to this again.

Great book with lots of good life recommendations

ARSENAL is a good tool that I have found useful in my daily life. The only drawback to this book is the reader who sounds overly monotone and robotic.

Really great book even for non titled leaders

I struggle with stress everyday like most others. I am currently learning how to manage that and I think this book has helped lead me to the right steps! Definitely will listen to it again!!

2 much

Overly scientific. Author too full of himself. Some good information but not practical to apply.