How do I respond to stress as a leader or team member?
A classic stress model (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984) suggests that when we encounter a stressful situation, we most often interpret it as a challenge or a threat; and we also think through whether we have what we need to cope. Both challenge and threat can be appropriate interpretations, and rather than trying to shift our responses, what can be really helpful is becoming aware of how we assess situations, and how we respond.
Another classic model (this time from the field of emotional regulation) comes from James Gross (2008, Stanford University), and suggests that two ways of responding to the emotions that accompany stressful situations are to continually check in, reappraise and use their emotions versus those who suppress or hold their emotions in check until after the event has been managed.
A clever recent approach has combined these approaches along two axes (challenge < — > threat and composed < — > dynamic), with six profiles of leaders under stress (Miller and Keller, 2026).
When a stressful situation is perceived as challenging:
- The Lighthouse (more contained): projects calm and clarity, a beacon of stability
- The Alchemist: sees pressure as fuel for growth and creativity
- The Firefighter (more dynamic): thrives on stress, running toward the flames
And when a stressful situation is perceived as threatening:
- The Stoic (more contained): uses cool logic, discipline and self-control
- The Diplomat: defuses conflict, builds trust, and mobilises others
- The Container (more dynamic): maintains a strong grip through structure, planning and focus.
These can be helpful profiles to think about in school teams, especially leadership teams, when we are under pressure. By identifying our own default style (authors offer a quiz here (https://www.stressintelligence.org/test), and those of our colleagues, we can understand a little more about our responses and also how we might practice adapting and broadening our ways of responding into the future.
Source: Miller, J. and Keller, D. (2026). Six ways leaders harness stress, Harvard Business Review, retrieved from https://hbr.org/2026/07/6-ways-leaders-harness-stress
