Great leaders care for themselves.
Whether you are the leader of a Fortune 500 company, president of a university, an organizer in your community, or a leader of your home, there is one person that if neglected, will negatively impact all those you serve and lead; that person is you.
After facing a crisis, a challenge, a monumental setback, or a scare, the most common takeaway for those involved is that they will remember to always put their family first and take care of themselves. It’s the number one lesson reported. It’s also, almost always, short-lived.
I remember the promises I made when my father died, the commitment I made after our automobile accident, and the priorities I set during quarantine. I also remember, ever so slowly, drifting away from each over time and back to overworking and over stressing.
Whether you are the leader of a Fortune 500 company, president of a university, a leader in your community, or a leader of your home, there is one person that if neglected, will negatively impact all those you serve and lead; that person is you.
The truth is we almost always go back to our old ways. Our old habits re-emerge and take over once again. We overwork ourselves. We hyper-focus on things we shouldn’t. Our families slowly but surely start to get less of our time and certainly not the best of our time. The time we give ourselves and others soon becomes whatever we can fit in, if any at all, and in short bursts at best.
Our true priorities and values soon only receive whatever is left of our day. The workout isn’t scheduled but rather squeezed in somewhere. That activity that we found such value in, the one that made us feel alive, gave us purpose and fulfillment is reduced and undervalued. Playtime with the kids and quality time with your spouse becomes infrequent.
I hope I’m wrong. I fear I’m right.
Great leaders, great humans, the happiest of people, honor their values and prioritize taking care of themselves.
It’s not selfish.
Would you want to work for someone who treated you as poorly as you most often treat yourself? Would you want to work for someone who talked to you the way you talk to yourself? Probably not.
Don’t allow yourself to become a statistic.
How you treat yourself becomes the example you set for all those you lead, whether it be in your home, your company, community or organization. Let others know that self care is as important as how we treat others. Remind each other to set goals and push yourself, but equally treat yourself with kindness and care.
Work hard! Set goals! Get after it! Just do it in a way that builds you up, not tear yourself down, and possibly inspires others to live in a similar way.
~Kelly
Kelly Croy is an author, speaker, and educator. Want to learn more? Send an email. • Sign-up for Kelly’s Newsletter. Listen to Kelly’s other podcast The Wired Educator Podcast with over 188 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader a book on personal and professional leadership, and Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness for your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook. • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter. • Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram
