Workplace stress management

Kazi Golam Rasul Arif, Managing Director and CEO of NDB Capital in Dhaka, died of a massive heart attack in the early hours of January 15, Wednesday. He was only 37. He left behind his wife and business school buddy Mehnaz Kabir, two young children and many well-wishers. I met Arif last time on January 8 at my office, discussed a few potential projects and their financing plan. I talked to him over phone on the 9th and the 11th, and read his interview with The Financial Express on the 13th. On the 15th, I received the devastating news of his passing away. It was totally unacceptable and extremely shocking to me. I cried, and that too almost loudly, after many years.
I recruited Arif at Standard Chartered Bank in early 1999, and treated him like my son. Arif was a very amiable as well as a capable banker. He concluded a few landmark deals within a short span of time. He spent almost 14 years with Standard Chartered Bank and a little over one year with the predominantly Sri Lankan investment firm --- NDB Capital. He was quite chubby and used to love eating. While I used to push him to go for a medical checkup and physical exercise, he used to tell me, "I am going to start these once I reach 40."
I myself was one of the few Bangladeshis having worked with three leading global banks at home and abroad. I was possibly the youngest local CEO at a global bank in Bangladesh. I never had to look back for achieving and exceeding my targets, no matter what was put in my way. My laurels and recognitions would anytime make anyone jealous. However, what is not possibly known to many of my friends and readers is how many times I had to visit hospitals, and that too the emergency department, early in the morning or late in the night with tremendous chest pain, exhaustion or sleeplessness. During the 2007 to 2010 period, it was almost 10 times I had to visit hospitals at odd hours and started to fall ill at frequent intervals. I got diabetes at the age of 38, twice or thrice I fell off in my room sweating all over. My chest congestion took me to consulting doctors at many places in Asia and North America. I have been taking medicines for diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol for the last 12 years or so. My well-wishers say these are all side-effects of my success at an early stage, coupled with office politics, tremendous pressure to achieve or exceed the goals set, and colleagues as well as peers not showing any sympathy --- rather elbowing me out, when I needed them.
Believe you me, the scenario became just the opposite once I decided to leave my high-flying corporate life. I am no more competing for higher bonus, higher salary or seeking recognition every time from my seniors and my colleagues. I have stopped taking advantage of the `ethics hotline' available mostly in a North American company for trivial matters. Within nine months of leaving active banking, I didn't visit my cardiologist even for once.
I visited my gastroenterologist only twice, what used to be almost every alternate week, and my endocrinologist  only for once. What I had to do for all this? It's big question, but the answer is short. I regularly visit gymnasium at least 4 days a week for 30-45 minutes for a brisk walk or free hand exercise. I go to the swimming pool 3 to 4 days a week and at times try to attend golf courses. I am least bothered now to know about who is the highest-paid CEO in Bangladesh, whether my boss continuously thinks I am the best or not, and, most importantly, I am trying to change my food habit.
Corporations create employment, pay taxes and provide the economy with goods and services, but even those with spotless records push us into the 'rat race'. The phrase refers to a pointless quest for getting ahead in corporate culture. The corporate struggle to survive makes people tired and stunts their creativity. Nobody protects you or gives you a pat on the back. And here in Bangladesh we lack the service rules in the private sector, now being found in India. Paul Ulasien in his book 'The Corporate Rat Race: The Rats Are Winning', writes: "No matter what you do in the rat race, success is not guaranteed, but if you do nothing, failure is."
Corporate houses swiftly and continually change their structures in a bid to keep up with the innovation of their competitors. A corporate executive's job is to both maximise the shareholders' value and ensure transparency and compliance with the laws of the country. However, today's complex and rapidly changing regulatory and social environments create pressure for new ways to run business. In doing this, the so-called leaders or drivers, like me, may become alone at frequent intervals. It seems that if you are in trouble, nobody comes forward to salvage you, you being always outperforming them to climb up the ladder. At times you would also suffer from contradictions within the definition of `ethics'. Continuous rat race would force you to cut corners or take shelter under 'personal loyalty', especially in our part of the world.
How do we fight the feelings of intimidation and inadequacy? We can choose to escape the rat race and live a simpler life. But if we want to defeat it, we must firmly believe in our ability to succeed within it. Employers matter, so find one that offers challenges but no compromised ethics. Corporations will attract staff, but the ones that will insist on a way to live with their core values and balance the needs of the workplace with those of their own family. Today's corporations need to maintain compliance standards to ensure their sustainability, and also that of their staff. The global corporations, before giving the `clean up' job to a local, must adequately empower that person, train and stand by him or her always. This was not my case always. Many times, I found my seniors either not understanding or appreciating our unique market scenario or social fabric. Thankless jobs may create tremendous negative pressure on one's motivation, and create undesirable stress. I was not at all an exception, rather very much into it.
In early 2009, I met an elderly and extremely amiable person at the swimming pool. I had been watching him there for a few weeks, swimming without creating any noise or talking. He once asked me: In the 24 hours a day, how many hours I spend for myself only. I didn't have a reply, because I didn't understand his question. I thought I spent 24 hours for myself, my family or society's wellbeing. He told me, "No. Your time is that time which you totally dedicate to your health or knowledge-improvement.' Now I spend at least one hour a day to keep me reasonably fit, and one hour for reading to keep pace with what's happening around. It seems I could at least save the money I spent in hospitals' emergency departments during the later part of corporate life. My peers at the banks must be smiling, not seeing me having a heart attack, despite the fact that I have crossed 50 two years back.
I would finish with a one-liner for all my corporate colleagues, "Nobody is telling you to leave the high-flying job nor to compete for elevation at the workplace; please spend at least 30 minutes a day on your health and keep smiling." Enjoy youth and, most importantly, friendship. Remain fit to fly higher.
The writer is a banker                             and economic analyst. mrashid1961@gmail.com