You’re smart, you’re experienced, you feel like you’ve got this (on some days), but how you turn up as a present, engaged and energised leader time and time again will be the difference between good and great. An apt subject for January 1st, a time of new beginnings and promises made to ourselves.
If being a leader is fundamentally about how you make people feel, showing up as the most present and engaged version of you, every day, is surely essential. Throughout my career, I’ve become more and more focused on managing my own energy in order to be as resilient as possible. Sounds obvious, but I really believe that managing your energy consistently above all else, is one of the simplest ways to differentiate your ability to lead in today’s ambiguous, chaotic workplace.
The definition of resilience is ‘the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness’. In a live example, this may be about bouncing back from a conflict-laden conversation quickly and positively, or it could be about powering through a tough working week with a consistent energy that keeps those around you motivated and on-task.
Overall, resilience is about consistent performance as a leader – and for me when I think of a leader I respect or admire, I’d say they are consistent and always present. Resilience, when fostered correctly can lead to less stress, illness, mental issues and generally an increased happiness, wellbeing and productivity – inside and outside of work.
How do you achieve this? In theory it’s not that complicated, and very personal to each one of us, but the first rule is to be conscious of your own need for resilience. Sometimes the things that we are doing on a daily or weekly basis can be tweaked or simply flipped to optimise your energy and resilience. Understanding how much rest and exercise you need, or what are your surefire ‘feel-good’ treats is essential to managing the balancing scales that are key to resilience. Here’s my top tips:
1 – Sleep as much as you need, as often as you can
So many of us consistently shortcut our need for sleep, for no good reason*. How many nights has an early night escalated into an Instagram fest or a boxed set session? Work out how much sleep you need and be religious about sticking to it. Boring but effective.
2 – Plan your exercise so it’s not an afterthought
There is no doubt about it, exercise, whether that’s a gentle walk, swim, group class or full on HIIT session, will make you feel more energised during the day and sleep better during the night. It will also help to maintain a healthy immune system. There really are no down-sides to exercise, and having worked in the fitness industry, I can confirm that exercise when integrated into a working day upfront and not sneaked in as an afterthought, is exercise that happens! And exercise that happens is the only exercise that counts!
3 – Think of your week as a profit and loss
Common sense, but if you have a big meeting on a Thursday, keep Wednesday night free if you can. Sometimes in our modern life, we struggle to cram in every dinner date, cinema session or girls nights out. We over-commit, and pay the price. Often, a night in with a bath, a book and an early night is the best way to prepare your mind and body for what is ahead. What you take out, you must give back, and if you can give back in advance, your performance will be all the better for it.
4 – Know your quick-fixes
Events can often prevail where at the end of a day, your resilience is at an all-time low, and no amount of sleep, exercise or planning could have helped you fill your can full enough to prepare for the momentous emptying that has happened. In this instance, you need to be prepared to lavish self-care upon yourself – whether that’s a massage, workout, manicure, burger, walk in the park, meditation, glass of wine / beer, connection with a friend – whatever it is that is going to make you feel recharged and revived, do it. Take yourself out of the situation that has emptied your can, and fill it back up.
*Mums and dads, I know you have good reason! If your little ones are keeping you awake at night, plan between you to maintain your resilience as a couple. If you are both working, take it in turns. One night of broken sleep can be forgiven by our bodies, 15 in a row is difficult.