The Most Overlooked Aspect of Leadership
My Answer with CEO Today Magazine
My recent interview with CEO Today Magazine featured a number of great questions. One in particular isn’t asked nearly enough:
What’s one aspect of leadership you think is overlooked?
Here is my answer from the interview, along with some expanded thoughts that provide a little more insight.
Self-care. More and more people have this word in their lexicon, which is a positive step. But, in my one-on-one conversations, I still hear a lot of sentiment around, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I’m supposed to do that, Emily - but I don’t have time, too many people are counting on me.” Taking care of yourself and putting yourself in the best position to lead and make sound decisions is part of your job. I don’t want someone who’s had four hours of sleep a night for the last month and is bleary-eyed to be making an important decision about my livelihood or the company I work for.
There’s this great principle in Greg McKeown’s book, Essentialism, which is “protect the asset” and the asset is you. Think of a singer. Her voice is her asset so she would do well to protect it - rest up before a big concert so she can perform at her best. It’s the same with leadership. Do what you need to do to recharge.
On a plane, the safety announcement always says, “Please put your oxygen mask on before you assist others.” If people are counting on you, your job is to take care of yourself — so you can take care of others. The same applies in your role as leader — if you’re worn out and fraying at the edges, you’re less useful to those who need you.
Mental health is a huge topic right now. We see it internationally, with COVID and the work-from-home environment, as well as from public figures like Simone Biles, who are making choices that best benefit their mental well-being. There’s a reason it’s such a big deal right now and will continue to be so well into the future — it matters.
Two takeaways for CEOs on this front — after taking care for yourself, of course — are to provide helpful resources to your staff, and to do all you can to let them know there are no negative stigmas surrounding the use of those resources. Stigma around mental health is quickly fading, and rightly so, but many are still hesitant to partake in employer-provided resources. One of the best ways to help put your team at ease? Ensure confidentiality.
At my current company, as part of our Employee Assistance Program, we provide everyone with a certain number of sessions with a professional counselor. We worked to get this service in place, but beyond that initial establishment, all other aspects of the program — who attends sessions, how many, etc. remains confidential.
Our leadership team makes concerted efforts to remind all levels of staff that counseling is available to them at no cost. One senior executive even commented — unsolicited — on his experience using the service, how easy it was to sign up, and how quickly he was able to speak with someone.
The fact that a member of the executive team engaged in the service and wasn’t ashamed to say so went a long way with the team. Hopefully, it gave those on the fence the nudge they needed to try it for themselves.
And now, it’s your turn. Give self-care more than your usual “yeah, yeah, I know,” consideration. Incorporate it into your own life, and make it readily available to those who count on you.
To find out precisely how, reach out for a free chat.
Read my full interview with CEO Today Magazine here.
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About The Author
Emily Sander is an ICF-certified leadership coach with more than 15 years of experience in the business and the author of Hacking Executive Leadership. She’s been featured in several print publications, online articles, and podcasts, including CEO Today Magazine, Leading to Fulfillment, and Leadership Powered by Common Sense.
Emily has a passion for helping business leaders reach their full potential. Go here to read her story from seasoned executive to knowledgeable coach. If you want to send Emily a quick message, then visit her contact page here.