Weekly Thought – December 2, 2025
Fred appreciated the book Stress versus Distress, Written by Canadian psychologist Hans Selye. He frequently talked about the value of tension. The book differentiates between vertical and horizontal stresses… one pulls together, and one pulls apart.
Holding a Taut Line
Successful leaders have learned to appreciate tension. I am convinced that positive stress is a wonderful thing. Where else would we get the energy to carry out our responsibilities? Botanists teach us about the importance of turgor – that normal fullness that comes from the tension produced by fluid flowing through the veins of plants. Lack of people tension makes plants droop. We are no different. Without a healthy degree of stress and tension, we wilt.
Certainly we must control stress but we must not eliminate it. One of the finest ways to control it is by learning to correctly using it, and not fearing it. If you don’t have tension, you won’t have the enough ambition to become successful.
We had a young man who, when asked the question, “How long have you been working here?” answered, “Ever since the boss threatened to fire me!” This young man didn’t have the fire in the belly needed by true leaders. Successful men and women have an intense rhythm and energetic pace.
I sometimes hear wives complain about how tired their husbands are at night. I think this is part of the price of leadership. You can’t have the placidity of a mule and the earnings of a race horse.
A psychiatrist friend of mine was sent to Guadalcanal following the bloody battles with the Japanese in 1942. He was to talk with both heroes and cowards to ascertain why each reacted as they did. My friend told me both were motivated by the same great fear, but the heroes ran forward and the cowards ran backwards. The heroes redefined the fear as a positive motivator.
The same principle applies to business. We either face problems as challenges or withdraw into the shell of inertia. We can choose to see either obstacles or opportunities.
This week think about: 1) Do I handle stress in a healthy way? 2) How do I process important decisions? 3) What changes do I need to make to make tension work better for me?
Words of Wisdom: “Successful men and women have an intense rhythm and energetic pace.”
Wisdom from the Word: “Stay alert, stand firm in the faith, show courage, be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13 NET Bible)