As leaders, we are frequently reminded, “It’s not about you,” regardless of the difficulty or scenario at hand. On the other hand, leaders are team members, and just as we are accountable for our teams, we are also responsible for our personal well-being. Just as we want our team members to be “complete,” we should seek the same for ourselves.
Leaders are important, and sometimes it means putting ourselves first. In this article, I share lessons learned, tips, and strategies for self-care and the impact it has on leading effectively.
- Learn How to Delegate
The most effective leaders recognise that they do not and cannot accomplish everything. It takes more than one person to lead anything; the person in charge is just the one who manages the plethora of responsibilities that fall to the team with whom he works.
Use your team’s abilities and expertise to allocate activities that, when completed sequentially, contribute to faster and more successful project results.
- Never Forget Your Mentor
This individual might be in a position of leadership inside your own firm or simply someone in business whose accomplishments and expertise you appreciate. Work with your mentor for leadership advice and recommendations on how to better empower yourself and others who work with you.
- Educate Yourself
You may have extensive management experience and specific abilities, but there is always space for development. Register for leadership conferences and seminars to learn about emerging leadership trends and better methods to empower yourself and your team. Apply what you learn from these educational opportunities to your organisation.
- Be Open to Learn
Keep an open-door policy. To be genuinely effective, you must be able to listen to and meet the needs of your employees. Maintaining an open door policy assures that workers will come to you with problems they can’t solve and will benefit from the expertise that has landed you in a management position.
- Learn to Lead
As leaders, we frequently believe, “Of course, everything would fall apart without me,” but the response is almost always, “No, everything will be OK.” According to the Harvard Business Review, there are three frequent reasons why executives oppose self-care:
1. It’s gibberish from the new era.
2. Inadequate time
3. Self-care is unnecessary for strong and successful leaders.
Unfortunately, it took the death of a close loved one for me to recognise that I had been making an excuse after excuse for failing to take care of myself. And, as you can expect, the excuses and burnout affected not just me but also my crew.
- Become a Part of the Team
We leaders might sometimes regard ourselves as being outside of the team. In our responsibilities, we are responsible for ensuring that our employees have all they need to flourish. What we need to recognise is that we are also members of the teams we lead.
We frequently advise employees to take time to care for themselves and their families, but by failing to recognise that we, too, are members of the team, we risk overlooking the need for self-care for ourselves. One way of indulging with others and learning to mingle with others is practising mindfulness through any online meditation course London.
- Keep the Best Company
As a leader, it is important to realise the importance of self-care. Great leaders are honest and kind, can say no, don’t hesitate to take necessary breaks, and love their bodies and existence.
Taking a break was never something I did. But it turned out that everyone was better off when I took a vacation. In fact, I’ve discovered that absence may sometimes be the finest presence. Are you wondering what it means?
When I was stressed out, burned out, and didn’t take care of myself at work, it put everyone else in the same predicament as me. And no one (including myself) was completely present. I was more present for my team than I had been all year because I became the example they needed to take care of themselves by taking the time away. In other words, some absence was essential to my capacity to
- Develop a Strategic Plan for Self-Care
During my time abroad and every day since I have prioritised self-care above all else, and along the way, I have picked up a few tactics to help me keep on track. Here are five self-care practices that I’ve implemented:
- On this journey, we are not alone. Take the time to recognise and comprehend the difficulties you are experiencing. Share them with your community instead of facing them alone.
- Take your time thinking things through. Strategies for how you will confront the issues you encounter, and then locate the methods to do so.
- Pay attention to yourself, your feelings, and your thoughts. Whether you’re feeling a specific way, others have undoubtedly noticed it, so talk to people closest to you and ask if they’ve seen any changes in you.
- Make a work environment that energises you and helps you to succeed. Keep a photo of a loved one or a favourite vacation spot on your desk, keep clutter to a minimum, and add some plants.
- Take care of yourself as well as you do others. Celebrate every victory, large or small.
The Final Words
Let us take stock of what we do know as we begin a new year and prepare to face the unknown. As leaders, we are not alone. We are members of a team, and every one of us is equally vital. And while putting others first is admirable, it is not realistic. It is also unhealthy.
Taking care of yourself puts you in the greatest position to be totally present for yourself and your team.
