Leadership is characterized by selflessness. Leaders eat last, sacrifice for the betterment of their people and their organization, and take the first steps into harm’s way. It is all about the needs of others and the organization. Great leaders are selfless in word and deed.
Yet, when a leader constantly defaults to serving others, they end up neglecting themselves. This selfless neglect actually creates bad leadership behaviors and leaders who are not operating at their peak. Bad leadership is anything but selfless. When I speak of the selfish side of leadership, I’m referring to self-care: turning inward to know and care for yourself. I always respected those leaders who displayed this ‘selfish’ behavior. I worked harder for them. It looks like this:
Prioritizing Self-Care as a Leader
Taking Time Off to Recharge
This comes in the form of formal vacations, leaving work at a decent hour, or unplugging from the office on weekends (for specific hours if needed). Time off should be spent wisely on non-work activities that inspire you and ‘fill your tank.’
Quiet Office Time
Many people see this as a selfish act—“I’m too important to be disturbed.” But closing the door, turning off the cell phone, and holding calls is a great way to focus on problems that need to be addressed for your team or to reenergize for the demands that await. That’s acting selflessly…
