As we race towards the end of the year, it’s as good a time as any to focus on our own sanity and wellbeing as business leaders. It is easy to lose sight of both as we chase targets while trying to set budgets for the new year but ignoring either our sanity or wellbeing could be the most expensive mistake we make.
Wellbeing is more than just a buzzword. Spa days are great, some companies even have on site-gyms that very few employees make use of, but it comes down to the leaders themselves to set the example.
There is far more to wellbeing than just showing up and exercising, it’s showing that you understand that charity begins at home. It is difficult to inspire and encourage when you don’t feel either. It’s difficult to make clear decisions when you haven’t slept enough or eaten properly because of the stress that you are under.
Even when you have everything physically in check, it’s important to check in emotionally with yourself. Sometimes the best thing a crisis can offer is exactly this. It was Britain’s Winston Churchill who famously said “never let a crisis go to waste” because of the opportunities it offers and that statement is as valid now as it was then.
A crisis, whether personal or professional, allows you to start asking hard questions of yourself and to examine your motivation. Why are you where you are? Are you enjoying what you are doing? Where could you be otherwise? What could you be doing instead?
Reflect on the people who support you
A crisis gives you the best opportunity to ask yourself those questions and get an unvarnished truth, totally different to what you get if you ask them when things are going well.
As you get through your crisis, it is also a great time to reflect on the people who do support you (and take cognisance those who don’t). We say it takes a village to raise a child, we say we are because of others, so use that crisis to audit your village or your community.
I’ve been very fortunate recently to realise just how incredible the people around me actually are from family to friends, colleagues to clients. It’s been humbling and energizing to realise the depth of support I have enjoyed and continue to enjoy, which brings me to the age-old conundrum that business leader wrestle with. The concept of the invincible leader is a myth, no one expects you be superman (or in my case superwoman) – and you shouldn’t hold yourself to those same ridiculous standards either.
Being vulnerable makes you strong
But if you don’t let people in, how will people know what you are going through? And if they don’t know, how can they help? It is the corollary to the myth of invincibility. It seems counter-intuitive, but you must be vulnerable to be strong, if you aren’t you’ll just burn out or even worse fail, except as a leader when you crash and burn then you might just set light to the entire operation at the same time.
Being vulnerable also means being open to others around you. It breaks the vicious cycle by creating a virtuous cycle of support and alignment to that which you are trying to do which is run a successful business.
Don’t let a good crisis go to waste, use it to grow, get better and come back stronger. Don’t lose sight of yourself either in the race to the top, tomorrow is not guaranteed so don’t put off things that you want to do today. Find the time to be with loved ones, read that bedtime story, twice if needs be, even when you feel shattered.
Live life to the full while you can
You won’t have your kids around you forever, so appreciate them while you have them and, most importantly, you won’t be around forever either, so appreciate the days that you have, do the things you want to do while you can, associate with the people who mean the most to you – and keep in the best shape possible.
Do it for yourself, no one else, because when you are in the best shape that you can be, your team and your company will be too, because you’ll have all the energy, all the compassion, all the insight and all the courage you’ll need to get the best out of them.
Lucia Mabasa expresses an expert opinion in this article
Lucia Mabasa is Chief Executive Officer of pinpoint one human resources, a proudly South African black women owned executive search firm. pinpoint one human resources provides executive search solutions in the demand for C suite, specialist and critical skills across industries and functional disciplines, in South Africa and across Africa.
Read her previous columns.
This article was published in IOL.
