LEADERSHIP DERAILERS: FATIGUE AS A BADGE OF HONOUR

WOW....Another challaging post by Dan Rockwell

Leadership is already challenging. Don’t make it harder than it needs to be.

Ego confuses fatigue with importance.

Leadership derailers: fatigue as a badge of honor.

The challenges of leaders require the intentional practice of self-care.

Superman and Wonder Woman only exist in the comics. Burning the candle at both ends makes you less than you could be.

Fools limit their potential with constant fatigue.

You might be surprised to learn that the very top leaders:*

1. Get adequate sleep.
2. Eat healthy.

(*Rasmus Hougaard’s)

Sleep tips:

Tired people can’t bring their best. Mental and physical wellbeing are built on adequate sleep.

Tired people have lousy relationships.

High performance is built on rest.

Try the spoon drop test to see if you’re sleep deprived. (BBC video 1:29)

6 sleep tips:

1. Create a sleep schedule. Go to bed and get up at the same time.
2. Pay attention to food and drink. Don’t go to bed hungry or stuffed. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine.
3. Create a restful environment. Limit screen time before bed. Make the room dark.
4. Limit naps.
5. Engage in physical activity.
6. Manage worries and stress.

(Above list adapted from Mayo Clinic.)

Eat healthy tips:

My best eating tip: Eat all the healthy food you want and limit your intake of unhealthy food.

1. Snack healthy.
2. Go for walks.
3. Avoid temptation. Don’t keep ice cream in the freezer.

Self-care is smart, not selfish.

Take care of yourself if you want to maximize usefulness and expand influence.

Self-neglect isn’t a badge of honor.

What’s difficult about self-care?

What’s one thing you could do to improve your self-care practice?

3 more derailers:

#1. Inability to gain advantage from criticism. Defensiveness derails growth and development.

#2. Being thin-skinned and easily offended. When you can’t resolve offenses, YOU become toxic.

#3. Unresolved anger. There’s no middle ground with anger. It makes you better or drags you to oblivion.

Bonus material:

How to Give to Others Without Burning Out (Berkeley)

Self-Care 101 (Psychology Today)

5 Ways to Practice Self-Care, Even as a CEO (Inc)