In a leadership position, it is important to understand what stress is and how it affects others. In an occupational setting, stressors vary according to personality types, gender, and occupational rank. The purpose of this manuscript is to review the foundations of stress and to explore how personality characteristics influence stress. Occupational stress in various working environments will be discussed; also, techniques of assessment and preventative measures that leaders could implement in a stress-intervention strategy will be presented. Knowledge of these characteristics will help leaders quickly recognize those who are prone to stress and will help effectively address stress induced issues.