Thoughtful Leadership

What can you learn about stress from a piece of silly putty? Give a listen and find out! Hi everyone, I’m Rocco Luongo. I studied engineering in New Hampshire then moved to Germany. I learned that every engineer has to be a leader. My small team quickly grew . . . and I didn't speak the language. I learned how to connect with people. 85% of how we communicate is nonverbal. There are two key definitions of stress:  1. “Pressure or tension exerted on a material object.”  2. “A state of mental or emotional strain or tension.” Silly Putty belongs to an interesting class of materials (viscoelastic) that serves as a good example of how stress affects us. If I slowly pull Silly Putty, it will stretch, but if I stretch it quickly it snaps. The strain rate matters. Tips: 1. Recognize that you can do this.  2. Reach out to a loved one or a trusted advisor. 3. Don't let time pressure get you down. Common denominator: Recognize that our perception of time is the key to how we react to stress and that we often put a false