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Leading with Heart: The Balance Between Leadership and Self-Care
Isn’t it ironic that leadership challenges often arise from our emotional struggles?
Last week I wrote that leadership is about community:
True leadership is a shared, human-hearted endeavour to create meaningful change in the world. It is a commitment to recognizing and respecting the dignity and worth of every person. It’s about standing together to face challenges that no one should bear alone.
Isn’t it ironic that I encourage change-makers to stand up courageously and proudly for what they know is right — ethically supporting a common humanity of dignity and equity — and yet, I wasn’t demonstrating respect for others through my choice of words in a particular article.
It’s clear what happened: I misplaced my compass — the inner guide that helps me embody my core values of freedom, equanimity, and creative expression.
Isn’t it ironic that I forgot my mantra:
If you don’t FEEL well, you can’t LEAD well.
Looking back on what I was going through last week — and what many of us are navigating — I realize I lost my direction because I was going too fast and I was reacting instead of responding. In other words, I wasn’t showing up authentically or living my values as I strive to do.
This is one of the many challenges of leadership: we’re human. When we’re stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, overtired, or angry (just to name a few common struggles), we can’t lead well.
A Moment of Reflection
Last Tuesday, I published the article, “Tragically, Sometimes Things Must Get Worse Before They Improve.” In it, I wrote about how leadership is rooted in community and support, and how we don’t have to face challenges alone. I thought I was on a roll.
