“I can’t understand you.”
This is what a leader’s boss said to her as she mumbled through a mouth full of gauze.
She was recovering from a root canal and had the flu but thought it would be a good idea to jump on the conference call 🤦🏽♀️.
Her boss, in utter disbelief, told her to get off the call immediately so she could take care of herself.
As she hung up, she realized she was setting a poor example for her direct reports.
Although she advocated for her team’s well-being – encouraging them to take breaks and practice self-care.
She wasn’t taking her own advice.
She’s an amazing leader who cared deeply about her team.
Her employees thought highly of her and were willing to go above and beyond because of their level of respect for her.
And for that very reason, she needed to model rest and work-life alignment.
You can lead your employees using the best strategies in the world, but if you don’t implement them yourself, your message will seem disingenuous because YOU are the one who sets the tone for wellness in the workplace.
Two things you can do to support your wellness are:
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐭: A therapist will provide you with a safe, confidential space to discuss your concerns and challenges, a sense of accountability, and guidance for identifying behaviors that negatively impact your well-being.
𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬: No one knows better than the ones who have faced similar challenges and overcame them. Having a community of other leaders, you can lean on can be a positive element to your well-being as you will receive support and encouragement.
Your team needs you, and they need you healthy.