Leaders, Caring For Your Team Starts With Caring For Yourself

When leaders prioritize self-care, they are caring for others in the process

When the subject of well-being is being brought up, we tend to think about our people, especially during stressful and uncertain times. Are we, as leaders, doing enough to support them? Are they burning out? Is the environment of the company allowing them to thrive or driving them to “quiet quitting” or outright quitting?
 

As a CEO of a complex global organization with staff spread across all continents, these are the questions that keep me up at night. I’m confident I am not alone in this. Amid heightened demands and shifting expectations in the workplace, many executives and managers are working long hours to protect their teams’ work-life balance and foster their professional growth, all while striving to advance important overarching initiatives, such as ESG, and continuing to deliver bottom-line results. We have to carry the load, and always feel the need to do more—not only for our organizations but mainly for our teams.

It can be easy for leaders to feel that the weight of the entire organization, or the success of their team, is squarely on their shoulders. And while leaders, often, are more resilient, everyone has their limit. Leaders are also susceptible to burnout, and when it strikes, it impacts not only one individual but also the teams that managers and executives are working so hard to support.

Here is the fundamental truth: To support their teams, leaders must first take care of themselves.

A Leader’s Role

At the International Coaching Federation (ICF), we follow the practices our member coaches utilize. We begin with powerful questions. Typically, when I catch myself feeling overtaxed, the first question I ask is, “Am I focused on the right responsibilities? Am I doing what I am best suited to do? Do I utilize the team in the best way?”

It is common for leaders to look out for their teams by taking on too many tasks themselves. Most professionals, however, want to be trusted, empowered, and supported in doing the job themselves.

When a leader is fully present, energized, and able to show up as their best self, their teams are similarly better equipped for success. More than ever, this requires leaders to delegate, trust and support.

Self-Care for Leaders

Many leaders form a habit of putting themselves last or becoming a go-to resource for their team all the time. But with burnout at record highs and a forecast of more uncertainty in the months ahead, this is not the time for leaders to sink under the weight of the responsibilities they’ve given themselves. In fact, they can’t afford it.

Yet, there is rarely someone checking in with leaders to ask them the question they are so often asking their teams: What support do you need?

It is up to each leader to expand their awareness, identify when they are reaching the end of their resourcefulness, and do the things that will re-energize them and give them space to reengage and renew their passion. For me, that means creating time for my hobbies—music, nature, and an active lifestyle.

What reenergizes you? Take responsibility for committing to those activities the same way you commit to your work. Ask yourself what you would ask your team members, so they can feel motivated and engaged each day. You owe it to them because your own self-awareness helps them in equal measure.

Leadership: The Ripple Effect

In coaching, we talk about the ripple effect: The ways in which the positive changes of one individual pass forward by improving relationships, breaking old patterns, and empowering others. This positivity changes how the individual on the receiving end of those new behaviors interacts with others in their own circle, and beyond. This dynamic occurs all the time, even when the person at the center of this change is a leader.

When leaders prioritize self-care, they are caring for others in the process. This creates an environment where everyone can be fully present, clear about the vision, and empowered to bring it to fruition. In short, every person within the organization is better positioned to contribute their very best when they are at their very best.   

It starts with being open to, and serious about, taking care of yourself.

Author Bio

Magdalena Nowicka Mook is the CEO of the International Coaching Federation. Magdalena Nowicka Mook is the Executive Director and CEO of the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Previously, she held positions with the Council of State Governments and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service. She is a trained coach and a frequent speaker on coaching and leadership. Connect Magdalena Nowicka Mook