Working in a corporate environment as a manager and later as an entrepreneur, attending various management, leadership, personal development events and trainings, I came across a lot of discussion about taking care of employees, their motivation, development and well-being. On one hand, everything is right – a healthy working environment and the development and well-being of employees has to be taken care of, but the question is: where does a manager get the physical, mental and spiritual reserves for personal development and to be that ideal leader about whom so many books, lectures and trainings have been discussing?
Managers / entrepreneurs / leaders often face the challenge of balancing team leadership, complex decision-making, organizational needs and investors’ interests with their personal needs. Growth, like climbing a mountain, is a lonely journey. The higher you climb, the fewer close people are around you. You have to face situations you have never been in before, you have to make responsible decisions, while very often there are no trusted people around with whom to discuss your concerns or to talk things through. Some issues you can discuss with your team, friends and family can be supportive, but it’s hard to get real constructive feedback. As a result, living like this for years is a guarantee of burnout. According to the Microsoft Work Trend Index 2022, more than half of managers (53%) reported feeling burnt out at work, which is higher than the average among employees. This result is attributed to continued difficulties in the global environment (pandemics, war, energy and economic crisis), as well as ongoing stress in the workplace leading to fatigue, cynicism and a feeling of having achieved nothing professionally. While all employees can associate with such challenges, managers must ensure that their team receives the support they need, in addition to other tasks. At the same time, they receive less coaching, less management training and less recognition from their managers, according to the study.1
While research is being conducted at global level, and HR managers in large companies are starting to focus more on support and motivation for managers as well as their personal development, the open question is what happens in small or medium-sized companies where resources are more limited? Or how do entrepreneurs, who not only run their businesses but also shoulder all the responsibilities of running and financing a business, cope with the situation? Both as an entrepreneur myself and in conversations with other entrepreneurs, I have realized that the situation is even more complex here, because there are several other levels of complexity in entrepreneurship. When you start a business, it often takes years before you expect a return, and sometimes you never do. Unlike a hired employee, an entrepreneur cannot write his or her own resignation (or at least it is not as simple as that).
To be a good leader, one has to find a way to take care of himself before being able to take care of others. Just like that oxygen mask on planes. What would be the ways to help yourself to rejuvenate? Here are some tips on how to help yourself on different levels:
Remember that your body is the temple of your soul. Take care of it by providing it with:
Positive emotions help us work better and more efficiently, and achieve higher results. Negative emotions, on the other hand, put us in a “fight or flight” mode, making it impossible to think clearly, logically and make well-informed decisions. The problem with positive emotions is that they are sustainable all the time. I personally do not believe in endless positivity. But I do believe that we have to learn to recognize any emotion we have and accept that it is also necessary and useful. Try this exercise: recognize and write down one of your emotions every day, a new and different one every day. Do the exercise for at least 21 days and see how easy or difficult it is to find new emotions.
Additionally, daily meditation and breathing exercises will be valuable aids in regulating emotions and building psychological resilience.
One of my greatest personal sins is “multitasking”. Distraction has been proven to be costly: switching attention from one task to another for a short time (e.g. to pick up the phone, reply to a Whatsapp message in the middle of a task) increases the time needed to complete the main task by up to 25%.2
Some techniques that can help here are: scheduling time for tasks in blocks, disabling distractions (notifications, calls, etc.).
If you have done a good job with your physical body, emotion regulation and mind control, but still lack energy, it is worth asking yourself – Why are you doing what you are doing? Our inner compass is infallible – if you see purpose, if it is in line with your values, if you live a balanced life with space for work, family, friends and self-development, you will be energized and inspired. What is your purpose? Have you defined for yourself what your values are?
If you are a manager or an entrepreneur, what is your support system? Who can you talk to about difficult issues and get constructive feedback? Ideally, if you are lucky enough to have such support in your immediate circle. If you don’t have it, consider where you can get it. This could be a mentor, coach, psychotherapist or other support person who can give you constructive feedback and help towards your goals.
In conclusion, using coaching as one of the methods, leaders can gain clarity, develop effective strategies and build resilience to succeed in their professional and personal lives. In addition, transformational coaching offers an even deeper level of support, facilitating profound shifts in thinking and behavior, enabling you to create lasting positive change in your life and continue road of personal development. As a manager, entrepreneur and coach, I would be delighted to help you on your journey. Book a free introductory call with me to see if coaching is right for you and to decide if we’re a good fit. Apply here.
References used:
1. “More than 50% of managers feel burned out”, Klinghoffer D., Kirkpatrick-Husk K., HBR, 2023
2. “Manage your energy, not your time”, Schwartz T., McCarthy C., HBR, 2007
