Globally, leaders and businesses are heading for burnout...
We only have to reflect on the recent crisis in the health service to see that doctors are already experiencing poor mental health and the inability to keep striving at such a pace. This is risking lives - not only their own, but others.
I see so many parallels of this in the work that I do within the corporate business world.
HR functions are constantly looking at creative solutions to fix issues around wellbeing, absenteeism and attrition in order to have a more emotionally engaged workforce.
“HR functions are constantly looking at creative solutions to fix issues around wellbeing, absenteeism and attrition in order to have a more emotionally engaged workforce”
These constant initiatives are often seen and felt as putting a sticky plaster on the core issue - that many senior leaders believe that to achieve business results and growth they need to push themselves and others harder.
I am seeing the impact that this is having on many of these people who are starting to feel the effects both within themselves and with the relationships they have with others. They are perhaps ignoring many of the physical signs of stress and ignoring their own feelings and the feelings of others.
“I have the privilege of working with individuals and teams to help them develop skills around resilience and sustainable performance
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I have the privilege of working with individuals and teams to help them develop skills around resilience and sustainable performance. What I am discovering is that most leaders today feel they are spending over 50% of their time in survival mode and are quickly moving to burnout, rather than in a performance or renewal zone. Their fear of getting found out or not achieving drives many of these leaders to do more. It becomes a perpetual cycle which does not improve performance over the long term.
It is not uncommon when I start working with individuals or teams to experience a depth of emotional release when I provide the space for them to reflect on what they are feeling from a physiology perspective.
The good news...
The good news is that leaders are starting to realise and the best leaders are aligning their business strategy with people strategies that focus on flexibility, new ways of working, health and a shared sense of purpose.
“We can change. We can bounce back and move towards a more healthy and sustainable approach to leadership.”
Smart CEOs are focusing on ensuring that people are happy, energised and performing at an optimum level within the realms of reality. They have a balanced perspective on what can be achieved and they are growing their businesses from this place.
We can change. We can bounce back and move towards a more healthy and sustainable approach to leadership. I believe that resilience is about balance and balancing all aspects of life. I believe that if leaders and teams are really clear about their sense of purpose they will achieve positivity and an emotionally resilient culture.
The first step...
“ It starts with small changes, but these small changes really impact individuals and team performance
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The first step towards this is to be really clear about your purpose and make sure that your goals are directed towards this. Learning to say no to attending yet another meeting that isn't aligned to this purpose, putting your health and team health as top priority, allowing time for renewal and reflection as a team, will help you and your team to grow in a positive, high performing way.
I received an email after the last resilience workshop I ran from one of the delegates saying thank you. The thank you was that they had slept well that night and felt much lighter and as a team there was much more hope and positivity. It starts with small changes, but these small changes really impact individuals and team performance.
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If you are interested in running either a Resilient Me or Resilient Team workshop, visit the Emotionally-i-Fit website or contact Amanda Wildman by email or on 07815 743045 .
Amanda Wildman - Emotionally-i-Fit
Amanda Wildman - Director of Emotionally-i-Fit - is an expert in emotional intelligence and leadership development.
Emotionally-i-Fit runs assessments, coaching programmes, workshops and leadership retreats that help leaders and organisations to measure and develop the 16 metrics of emotional intelligence.