The past few months have tested us in ways we never would have imagined. Most of us have had to adapt to new ways of working, being in lock down, isolated from management and colleagues. We’ve had to juggle work and home life, kids and families. This has been particularly challenging for leaders, who have also had to find new ways to manage teams, keep them feeling motivated, and keep a sense of team spirit alive when most are working from home, if not furloughed.

At testing times such as this, leaders often put their own self-care on the back burner, focusing on their teams, possibly working late regularly in order to support their direct reports. Over time this can leave managers feeling depleted and burned out. If you are a leader, it is essential to consider the importance of self-care as a way of ensuring not just you, but your team, remains strong and resilient.

How can you be more Selfull?

A person that better’s oneself, without disregarding others.

Anyone who’s ever flown on an aircraft (remember that?!) will know the safety advice is to put on your own oxygen mask before helping others in an emergency. The same applies when leading a team of people in the workplace. If you don’t take time to care for your own wellbeing, you will not be in the best position to support your teams and care for them.

Being a role model for the team is essential. Demonstrating that self-care matters, by allowing your team to see you practicing it, gives them tacit permission to take time for self-care too. Your actions as a leader can be far more impactful than simply talking about the importance of self-care, especially if the reality is that you are working yourself into the ground. This means finishing work at a reasonable hour, taking regular breaks, exercising regularly and eating well. The more your team sees you practicing these good habits, the more likely they are to also take care of themselves. Don’t underestimate the power of these simple measures in building resilience and coping mechanisms.

If you are a leader who is interested in building your own resilience, my Resilience Wheel is a great place to start. It gives you all the different areas to consider in building your own resilience. Building resilience is not a quick fix, it is a long game. It is something which becomes a way of life and is integral to self-care. It can enhance your performance as well as your team’s performance.

Building your resilience makes you more equipped to handle what life throws at you, and we’ve certainly all had a lot thrown at us lately! Resilience helps build adaptability, which is incredibly important in the VUCA world we are living in now. Many of us are feeling change fatigued, and working on building resilience can help restore an ability to adapt and cope with change.

When resilience levels are higher, leaders can operate at an optimum level. Energy levels are higher, and leaders are better equipped to adapt and respond to change well, making good decisions, solving problems creatively, and building the right connections to get the best outcomes for their teams. There will undoubtedly be more change to come, particularly when people start to return to the workplace. Perhaps now is an ideal time to start working on your own resilience.

What will enable you to look after yourself first and what will motivate and drive this behaviour change in you?