There is such a thing as “executive stress syndrome”, which has already become a cliché. It is believed that bosses are burdened with responsibility and the need to control everything, because of which they are in constant stress and earn ulcers and cardiovascular disease. This is partly true, but we want to introduce you to the current research in this area, the findings of which will surprise you.

These studies have been described in his best-selling book, The Biology of Good and Evil, by renowned neuroendocrinologist Robert Sapolsky. Sapolsky writes that current evidence suggests that “stress-related health problems occur most often in middle managers. Their position is characterized by a killer combination of high demands and little autonomy, that is, responsibility in the absence of control.”

Of course, you can not write off the peculiarities of the character of a particular manager. Some are inherently more sensitive and empathic, and some are more dispassionate. Incidentally, Sapolsky mentions an interesting study that found that the higher a person’s OSD scores (social dominance orientation), the weaker the brain areas (anterior cingulate cortex and islet area) responsible for empathizing with less fortunate people are activated. In other words, the higher a person values power and prestige, the less empathy he shows for others.

But back to the question of how status affects health. Sapolsky describes an interesting experiment involving high-status government officials and military personnel (above the rank of colonel). Compared to a control group of low-status people, the high-ranking individuals initially had lower levels of anxiety and stress hormones (rather than higher levels, as is commonly thought).

The researchers found an extremely curious pattern, but only after specifying the status question by dividing it into three parts:

1. How many people in the organization have lower status than the respondent?
2. How much autonomy does the respondent have?
3. How many people are in his direct reporting line?

What did it turn out to be? And it turned out that the low level of stress and anxiety in those subjects who have significant autonomy and many inferior ranking colleagues, that is, the correlation was revealed only for the first two items. But if an executive has many direct subordinates, the level of stress will be high. Here’s what Sapolsky writes about this in his book “The Biology of Good and Evil.”

“In order to take advantage of the physiological benefits of boss status, you have to stop dealing directly with your subordinates – it is much better to glide majestically through the workspace as if you were the ruler of the universe… This is not about rank, but about what rank requires of us.

To repeat that last sentence: it is not about rank, but about what rank requires of us. If he demands high responsibility, but does not give enough independence, and also “rewards” a large number of direct subordinates, then the level of anxiety and stress will be high.

Who is most characterized by such working conditions? For middle managers, as Sapolsky quite rightly writes. It turns out that their stress and anxiety are higher than those of their more status-oriented colleagues. This conclusion is also supported by the fact that in high positions people are more likely to have a high OSD score and a more nonchalant personality, which helps them better cope with stress. These findings are not conclusive – research in this area is ongoing. But there is something to think about, don’t you agree?