How to Manage Your Well-Being as a Leader
Dan Schawbel
LinkedIn Top Voice, New York Times Bestselling Author, Managing Partner of Workplace Intelligence, Led 80+ Workplace Research Studies
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Research shows that today’s leaders are suffering from poor well-being and mental health issues more so than ever before. Too often, they put the needs of the business or their team before their own needs. But, much like airline pre-flight instructions to “put your oxygen mask on first, before helping others,” leaders need to take a similar approach by managing their own well-being first. By doing so, they can become role models for their employees and build stronger team relationships that lead to better health and productivity outcomes.
I’m so passionate about this topic that I decided to create a new LinkedIn Learning course: Managing Your Well-Being as a Leader . The course just launched last week, and it’s specifically designed to give leaders the inspiration, advice, and real-world examples to guide them on their journey to better well-being. And there’s never been a more critical time for leaders to take charge of their health: a study of over 12,000 workers conducted by my firm Workplace Intelligence and Oracle found that 71% of leaders feel that this has been the most stressful year ever at work.
The course starts by asking leaders to reflect on why they aren’t prioritizing their health. Are they too busy, too focused on taking care of others, or is their well-being simply not a priority? No matter the reason, well-being should be a top priority — because when leaders ignore their own health, it’s bad for them and it’s bad for the business. Depression alone can decrease productivity by 35% , and poor mental health can affect judgment and?decision-making. These issues can also trickle down? into the company, with profound consequences on your team members and your business.
In fact, one of the key points I drive home in the course is that there’s a strong link between your actions as a leader and the health of your teams. Because whether or not you recognize this, your employees look to you as a role model and take behavioral cues from you — and if you don’t take care of your own well-being, your whole company will suffer. If you ignore your own needs, work long hours, and have no boundaries between your work and personal life, you’re communicating to your people that this is what’s expected of them, and this is what’s needed to be successful at your organization.
And especially right now, that’s the wrong message to send. Research from Deloitte finds that nearly 4 in 10 Millennial and Gen Z employees do not believe their employers have taken actions to support their mental well-being during the pandemic. What’s perhaps more alarming is that only 38% of millennials and 35% of Gen Zs said they’ve spoken openly with their supervisors about the stress they’re feeling. Other research finds that just 41% of managers check in on the well-being of their employees regularly, and more than 50% of employees have never brought up personal matters with their managers.
The reality is that your teams are probably struggling more than you know, and you too may be dealing with burnout, stress, and poor physical and mental health. So it’s up to you to lead by example and remind your team what success really looks like in today’s workplace. It means having boundaries, it means taking care of yourself, and it means being more vulnerable and open with your teams when it comes to everyone’s well-being. Above all, it’s about paying attention to your needs and remembering that at the end of the day, you’re human too!
Managing Your Well-Being as a Leader takes a holistic and comprehensive approach to enhancing your health and wellness. The course includes 16 modules covering the topics below — for a sneak peek of some of the course content, subscribe to my FREE Workplace Intelligence Insider Newsletter .
Introduction
领英推荐
1. Manage Your Work Life from Anywhere
2. Create Daily Habits to Feel Reassured
3. Stay Connected to Prevent Isolation
4. Be Vulnerable About Your Mental Health
Conclusion
Protocol Figure of Hall of Fame, Senior Ethicket & Protocol Lecturer at art9-Protocol, Nogtiation Trainer, Image Builder, Lectured on Protocol in UN
3 年Dear Dan, I receive your posts as usual. But when I want to thank you, my mail is blocked.
Co-Founder - Brainium Information Technologies | Custom Software Development | Digital Marketing | Blockchain | AR/VR | Author of The 12th Man and The Diamond Way | Business Writer | Sales Coach.
3 年Recently I asked a couple of my colleagues - What is your biggest motivator to work? The answer was in expected lines - Money! If we go by Maslow's principle of Needs, money plays a part in all the 5 stages but more so at the Physiological & Security stages. As you go up and reach the self actualisation stage, money still plays a part but it's no longer a need! Two colleagues playing a similar role and being compensated equally might have different outlooks towards money because the need may vary due to family circumstances. If there are other bread earners in the family that person might not be having the need as much as another person who has to take care of many family members with a single bread earner. So it's very difficult to balance these things in a corporate environment. I think as a leader one should be up to date with his team member's needs and problems and empathise with them. But the crucial factor is that the leader should not at any point of time project their own circumstances to their team members. Each one is unique and each one has a unique set of needs due to their unique environments. So empathise with them and create an environment where your team members thrive in a positive manner.
Investor Relations | Strategy | M&A | Investments | Consulting | London Business School MBA
3 年‘If you ignore your own needs, work long hours, and have no boundaries between your work and personal life, you’re communicating to your people that this is what’s expected of them, and this is what’s needed to be successful at your organization.’ So true, even if we try to protect our team from these bad behaviors. Consistency is needed. Walk the talk.
Logistics & Warehouse Operations Manager (Inventory Control, Shipping, Receiving) | Leader | Mentor | Coach | Boston Sport Teams
3 年Dave Brower