The Role of Strategic Leadership Skills in Preparing for Work-Related Stress A Field Study on the Central Bank of Libya – Tripoli

Abstract:
This study aimed to highlight the role that strategic leadership skills play in preparing for work-related stress at the Central Bank of Libya in Tripoli. A structured questionnaire was designed to collect data related to the study topic, divided into two parts: the first part covered respondents’ personal data, and the second addressed the study variables. The second part focused on two main dimensions: the independent variable, which includes the four dimensions of strategic leadership skills—technical, cognitive, personal, and human skills; and the dependent variable, which is preparedness for work stress.

The study targeted department managers and division heads at the bank, with a total sample size of 60 individuals, using a comprehensive survey approach.

Upon analyzing the data, the study reached several key findings, the most important of which was the existence of a statistically significant impact of strategic leadership skills (technical, cognitive, personal, and human) on preparedness for work-related stress. Human skills were found to have the strongest effect, followed by personal skills, and then cognitive skills.

Based on these results, a number of recommendations were proposed, including:

• The need for clearly defined responsibilities and authorities for strategic leaders, aligned with the bank's organizational structure and strategic goals, to ensure effective handling of crisis situations that may negatively impact performance.
• The proposal for the bank’s management to establish a “Stress Management Task Force” to coordinate and share information with all local entities involved in the banking sector. This would enhance preparedness for stressful conditions and help develop effective response scenarios.