How are the leaders in your organization doing? Are they exhausted and burned out? Do they struggle to stay fit and motivated, and to think clearly? Do they always put others' needs before their own? Does their behavior sometimes pose a risk to the organization?
Imagine you ask the leaders in your organization; how would they answer these questions?
Have you ever:
felt exhausted and didn't know where to find motivation anymore?
difficulty being authentic when pulled in many directions?
experienced a major life change and struggled to recover from it?
have you put your own needs on hold while taking care of others?
have you ever wondered where to find the energy in stressful times?
felt guilty or selfish when you took care of yourself?
had difficulty asking for help?
We all know the airplane safety instructions: put on your own oxygen mask first, then assist others. This makes sense, as without oxygen, you can't think clearly or, worse, you might lose consciousness. Leaders who cannot think clearly and are unaware of this pose a risk to their teams and organizations.
Changing your mindset about self-care can make a difference. This is the eighth and final in the set of mindset shifts that can transform the impact of leaders.
It's okay to take good care of yourself.
Leadership begins with leading ourselves. This requires just the right combination of self-awareness, self-discipline, and self-compassion.
True leadership always comes from within – Bobby Herrera, co-founder and CEO of Populus Group.
Of course, this is much easier said than done. Leaders are pulled in so many directions; they are expected to serve others, often at the expense of their own well-being. The demands are frequently unrealistic, yet we do our best to meet them. We often don't receive the time and support needed to do the inner work required to bring out the best in ourselves.
As contradictory as it may sound, without self-care, you will never experience the satisfaction and joy of true leadership. Self-care makes leaders more resilient, happier, and reduces the risk of burnout.
Self-care in three steps
Leverage your strengths
There's nothing more fulfilling than doing what you're good at and making a positive impact. Mindset Shift #2 reveals the characteristic strengths for each of the six PCM personality types. Which one best describes you? How can you apply these strengths today?
Understand what motivates you
Every personality type has specific motivation needs. Self-aware leaders actively nurture their daily sources of motivation to maintain their energy. Mindset Shift #6 offers insight into everyone's motivation needs and how to fulfill them. Ensure you spend enough time each day in an environment that energizes you. Mindset Shift #5 can assist with this.
Recognize distress and transform it
Distress arises when we fulfill our Phase needs negatively. This negative attention is anything but effective, brings risks to ourselves and others, and creates a toxic work environment. Mindset Shift #7 helps you gain insight into your stress patterns and makes the right connections to determine what you need to do.
Change your mindset, become a better leader
Authenticity, self-care, and resilience are the focus of this module in the PCM Leadership Program. It offers deeper insight into 'being a leader' and helps leaders discover their own personality. They receive tools to maintain their energy levels and remain focused, hopeful, and resilient when facing necessary challenges.
In this module, leaders learn how to:
can be more authentic, even while connecting with those they lead;
to be able to take better care of themselves daily;
make better decisions;
can ensure that their strengths do not become their pitfalls;
to develop daily habits for better overall well-being.
Discover and leverage the powerful intersection between communication and personality! Contact us to make a difference for your team and organization.
