By Amina AlTai
Being a leader in 2024 requires resilience and fortitude not known by previous generations of leaders. In a world of constant change, COVID-19 catapulted the pace of transformation to extraordinary heights. Coupled with the fear of economic decline, geopolitical unrest, soaring interest rates and the management of remote and hybrid workforces, we have a new normal regarding unpredictability and challenges within our businesses.
As leaders, we’re meant to have it all figured out—and that goes for caring for ourselves as well. In a time when so many leaders are concerned about employee burnout, it feels like there is little latitude for executives and managers to suffer as well.
However, a 2022 study from global consulting firm Deloitte found that over 70% of leaders are burned out and “considering quitting for a job that better supports their well-being.” Moreover, nearly 60% of adults have at least one chronic illness. That means that the likelihood that your C-suite is suffering from burnout or chronic disease is highly likely. And few things exacerbate illness like unchecked, persistent stress. I know from nearly a decade of coaching Fortune 100 leaders, VC-backed founders and everyone in between that if we are not well, we cannot lead a healthy workforce. Cultures of well-being need to be top-down and inside-out.
So, how do we care for our needs as leaders to create cultures that foster well-being at all levels?
Put your oxygen mask on first
As the old adage goes, we must put our own on first. If we are not managing our stress, investing in self-care and other healthy habits, that will trickle down to our teams. Invest in researched-backed tools known to dimmish stress and bolster wellness, such as mindfulness-based stress-reduction or MBSR. Prioritizing it like you would a meeting or deliverable is vital.
Set and honor your boundaries
Ambitious leaders sometimes have permeable boundaries because we want to go the extra mile, and sometimes the business requires that we do. Our boundaries become porous when we’re excessively flexible with them or don’t establish them at all. We are usually giving more than we are receiving. And while generosity and flexibility are helpful in business, working without boundaries is chaos. Giving and receiving are like our breath. We need to inhale as much as we exhale to thrive. When you exhibit and uphold your boundaries, not only will it support your own health, but you will teach your team the same thing.
Build wellness into the culture
According to the annual State of Work-Life Wellness 2024 report from corporate wellness platform, Gympass, 93% of workers value well-being as much as their salaries. When well-being initiatives are built into the fabric of the company, not only is it an essential signal to employees, but we as leaders get to participate as well.
Create psychological safety for yourself and others
Psychological safety is the degree to which we feel safe to take risks and miss the mark in our organizations. There are varying levels of psychological safety, but leadership ultimately sets the tone. If we, as leaders, don’t feel psychologically safe, not only is there an impact on our nervous system, but there is a ripple effect across all the people we work with. The sympathetic nervous system responsible for your fight-or-flight responses plays a role in chronic inflammation and disease. Working with our nervous system to be in a more parasympathetic (rest and digest) state not only leads to better decision-making and more creativity, but better health and also supports safety across our organizations.
Amina AlTai is a holistic business and career coach, proud immigrant and chronic illness advocate. A leading coach to notable leaders, executives and founders, AlTai’s mastery is in connecting us to our genius and teaching us to live and lead from it each day.
Discover more articles for the AAPI community here.
