The Power of Wellbeing on Leadership
Deepa Mahesh
I enable leaders and teams to transform through self-mastery || Leadership Coach (ICF PCC) || TedX Speaker
To hold a powerful position as a Leader in the corporate world is a dream of many. We know about the perks and the money it brings but often fail to look at the burning out side of Leaders.
Chasing deadlines, logging in and out of meetings, delegating tasks, multitasking, brain storming, making tough decisions, working overtime, fulfilling multiple requirements and more have become a normal part of a Leaders life in the corporate world.
Leaders are expected to perform, execute, and show results in such less time making them constantly be on the run trying to achieve more and more. In 2013, a study revealed that 75% of senior position Leaders were experiencing high stress levels and burnouts. The demands placed on them overweigh their personal and professional resources making work overload, powerlessness, and insufficient reward the top causes of burnout.
So, at what cost do Leaders push themselves to meet expectations??
Cost of Self
They get eroded.
There are two sides of every Leader- an outer self and an inner self. It is crucial for these two selves to be aligned for any human to be successful with inner peace.
Leaders equip themselves with all the technical skills that can help improve their productivity from time management skills to communication skills however, often forget to nourish their inner selves with skills of compassion, self-care, clarity, and grounding.
The outer self is always in focus, with Leaders running to boost their profiles and make more money but when they get back home- they feel a sense of fatigue, a withdrawal, an uneasiness, a confusion. Many ignore them simply because of the myth that Leaders don’t express their emotions as it is a sign of weakness.
The Journey to Holistic Wellbeing
The inner self can be nourished by focusing on 5 aspects namely, physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and etheric wellbeing.
Our physical body needs to be alive. The current work scenarios have pushed many Leaders to a sedentary lifestyle with no room for movement. This makes our bodies crippled and allows storage of stress which in turn manifests as pains and aches.
Today, sit back and reflect, “Where are you experiencing discomfort in your body?”. This is probably a manifestation of accumulated stress.
The question is “Are you willing to let it go?”
Our emotions speak to us about our current state. They can be considered as communicators of what our body needs, or if we are living our life in line with what we truly believe. Being unaware of our emotional patterns can affect all areas of our life - work, relationships, thought clarity, stability and more.?
Therefore, keeping a constant check on how one is feeling helps acknowledge and manage emotions effectively.
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A simple technique to acknowledge your emotions is asking yourself “How am I feeling right now?”
This aspect of wellbeing focuses on knowledge, clarity, decision making, creativity and other thought related skills. Many Leaders do nourish their intellectual wellbeing as it has a tangible and direct impact on their performance. However, when Leaders are eroded these skills also get impacted.
Ask yourself, “What do you do to be creatively active?”
This is about living with an abundance mindset and living with a deep sense of purpose and connection within and outside. Many Leaders feel eroded and exhausted as they have lost the deep connection with themselves. This usually happens in the chaos of the corporate world, where you wear masks to hide our inner selves.
Pause and ask yourself “Do I feel I am living your life abundantly? “
This consists of the life energy the Leader has which allows you to carry out your daily actions in the world with ease and flow. Low etheric energy results in physical ailments as well as mental issues like stress, anxiety, depression, unhealthy relationships. Leaders can focus on their breath and rhythms of life to regulate their energies to live their best!
?The key question is “Do you have a daily morning and a night routine?” ?
All these aspects are interconnected and require a conscious effort to nourish each of them to lead successfully while maintaining inner peace.
With sustained actions, the eroded Leader could start feeling energized and purposeful, directly enhancing their Leadership quality.
Even rocks erode in harsh conditions, Leaders are still human beings. A Leader’s erosion can be prevented by taking conscious steps towards wellbeing.
As Leaders, it is important for us to realize how engaging in inner work can help us bloom our outer selves. Having that inner peace is fundamental for Leaders as they steer their organizations through turbulent times.