Leadership Skills and Stress

The present study induced stress in order to examine the relationship between leadership skills and stress. The study evaluated leadership skills, personality, and affect in order to measure the differences between perceived stress and physiological stress. Physiological stress was measured by salivary Cortisol samples that were taken before and after the stressor. The participants were exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) as the stressor. A stepwise regression found that the personality factor, Neuroticism, was a significant predictor of Cortisol reactivity (R2 = .081, F(1, 68) = 5.966, p < .05) and self-reports of stress (R2 = .057, F(1, 68) = 4.113, p < .05). These findings suggest that individuals who are high in neuroticism might not be the best candidates for high stress jobs or workplaces.