Leadership Health Crisis: How Stress and Denial Are Killing Great Leaders | Dale Carnegie Tokyo

Many ambitious leaders end up pushing up daisies long before their time — not because of competition, but because of stress.
Psychosomatic illness is real, and it’s claiming high-performing executives who refuse to slow down.
In cultures like Australia, “harden up” and “she’ll be right” are badges of honour — and death sentences for male leaders.

Mini-Summary:
Ignoring stress doesn’t make it go away. It kills quietly — and often, the last person to notice is you.

Cigarettes, alcohol, bad eating habits, and no exercise — a perfect recipe for collapse.
We pile on extra kilos, skip the gym, and convince ourselves we’re “too busy” to take care of our bodies.
The truth: high performance requires physical resilience, not just mental stamina.

Add business stress — underperformance, staff issues, market chaos — and blood pressure skyrockets.
The danger? We get used to functioning under stress, mistaking chronic strain for “normal”.

Mini-Summary:
Stress numbs awareness. By the time you feel the damage, it may already be too late.

My recent health check flagged high blood pressure.
I ignored it. Classic Aussie response — “It’s just a blip.”
My wife, smarter than me, bought a home monitor. Not a blip. A real issue.
I knew the source of stress but felt fine — that’s the ambush.
Stress doesn’t always feel like panic; sometimes it feels like “normal.”

Mini-Summary:
The body whispers before it screams. Listen early — before you’re forced to.

To fight stress, clarity is the best medicine.
Here’s a simple four-step method for leaders to regain control:

1. Define the Problem
   Don’t let a thousand worries buzz around your head.
   Identify the “Queen Bee” problem — the one that truly matters.

2. Identify the Causes
   Dig into what’s really driving your stress.
   Which cause is the worst offender? Focus your energy there.

3. Generate Possible Solutions
   Suspend judgment. Write down every idea — even the silly ones.
   Sometimes a “stupid” idea sparks the breakthrough you need.

4. Choose the Best Possible Solution
   It may not be perfect, but it gives you direction — a map forward.

Mini-Summary:
Clarity replaces chaos. Define, diagnose, brainstorm, decide.

• Stress kills — even when you think you’re handling it.

• Regular health checks matter, but self-awareness matters more.

• Never dismiss your body’s signals.

• Use structured reflection to turn overwhelm into action.

• Leadership isn’t sustainable without physical and emotional resilience.

👉 Join our Dale Carnegie Leadership Resilience Programs in Tokyo — designed to help leaders stay strong, focused, and healthy while leading under pressure.

Founded in 1912 in the U.S., Dale Carnegie Training has empowered leaders and professionals worldwide in leadership, communication, sales, and executive resilience.
Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, continues to help Japanese and multinational organizations build leaders who perform without burning out.