This article argues that executives often fail to see that they do not have the resources to properly deal with and manage stress, and they themselves generate and cause an unduly amount of stress on their subordinates. This article is a `wake up call'. It argues that dramatic changes are needed on two fronts - to incorporate the skills for managing stress into the executive inventory, and to alert executives about the need to identify and prevent stress, for otherwise we will face a new growing pandemic in the workplace.

The business culture of the 1980s and 1990s helped to transform economies in Europe, North America and Asia, and led to sustained growth in many countries. This period saw an expansion of the short-term contract culture, major restructurings, outsourcing, more monitoring of individual performance and less autonomy, and a culture of long working hours, all of which have been carried forward to the first decade of the 21^st century. Although this has meant enhanced growth rates, there has been a substantial personal cost for many employees in general, and executives in particular. This cost was captured by a single word - stress. According to Prof. Cary Cooper, one of the current Gurus of Stress, the term `stress' has become as ubiquitous in our modern jargon as faxing, fast food and the Internet<sup>1</sup>. But for those whom the ability to cope with day-to-day matters has reached a crisis point, the concept of stress is no longer a casual one; for them, stress can be either a four letter word - `pain!', or even worse, a five letter word - `death'.

Students completing their MBAs are being prepared to become the supermen and superwomen of tomorrow's business landscape. But the fact remains that they have never been prepared for dealing with the ever growing frustrations and changes in organizational life. Stress management is considered a natural skill that does not need to be studied. Unfortunately, the reality of the corporate landscape suggests that this might not be the case.

Effective Executive Magazine, Organizational Life, Stress Management, Corporate Landscape, Occupational Fatalities, Organizational Financial Failures, Organizational Level, Organizational Factors, Organizational Restructuring, Workplace Engagement.