Managing intensity in knowledge work: Self-leadership practices among Danish management consultants

What is it about?

This paper examines two things. First, we examined what about management consultants' work is causing stress for workers. Second, we examined what strategies consultants' use to self-manage these sources of stress. Our findings indicate that while consultants expressed a belief in internal self-discipline strategies of a more reactive nature, in fact, external and proactive strategies were the most effective in practice for reducing stress. Being strategic about selecting the right physical environment to support the activity you are doing, or modifying the working situation to avoid distractions, is preferable and more effective than relying on willpower to "resist" distractions.

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Why is it important?

Modern work makes large demands on workers to be able to manage themselves and co-ordinate their work, with less formal structure, instruction, and reliable past experience to rely on. This can create a large mental load for the individual. Our study shows that self-leadership, when possible, should rely on selecting or modifying the situations one enters into rather than relying on "self-control", "discipline", or being "more motivated" as these internal strategies further strain individual cognition.