| If you are going to lead the way, you’re | | | | but the application and integration of it is. |
| going to need some tools to support you on your | | | | We’ve heard the statistics of rising healthcare |
| path. Competence, instinct, inspiration, integrity, | | | | costs and disease. (The latest: we will spend 4 |
| joy and the ability to engage people and create | | | | trillion dollars in 2017 on healthcare.) |
| results are just a few of these things. There is | | | | We see burnout around us, in the news, in our |
| something deeper. Often taken for granted, | | | | communities, in our own families and even in |
| screaming for attention when it’s missing, | | | | ourselves: a high-level executive suffers a heart |
| foundational to all other qualities: “Personal | | | | attack, an over-extended working mom suffers a |
| Sustainability.” When you have it, you | | | | breakdown; the community hero gets a divorce |
| don’t notice it; when it’s borderline, you | | | | after years of being disengaged from his family. |
| ache for it; and when it’s gone, you beg for | | | | These are not new scenarios. No one will disagree |
| it. | | | | with me that personal sustainability is important; |
| What is “personal sustainability?” Some | | | | yet, I notice how quickly performance |
| executive coaching experts call it | | | | improvement undertakings fall to the bottom of |
| “self-care.” I define it as doing those | | | | the Outlook task list in service of doing almost |
| things that bring your self alive, nurture your body | | | | anything else. |
| and soul, give you more joy, energy, stamina and | | | | We need to help people find the space to give |
| OOMPH, so you CAN engage again and again, | | | | them permission to indulge in the art of self care. |
| making the impact you want in your life and | | | | By engaging in our own self care, we create a |
| organization. | | | | more alive, engaging and joyful way of being |
| Personal sustainability is all about doing the things | | | | (which is contagious.) We are all at choice here. |
| that sustain you, so you can sustain your game, | | | | This is about our IMPACT in effective leadership |
| perhaps via clean eating, exercise, self-care, family | | | | roles and how we set ourselves up to have the |
| time, engagement, joyful activities, scheduling, | | | | best impact possible. |
| boundaries, etc. It’s an individual concoction | | | | Observe the impact of individuals practicing work |
| and, without it, we risk burnout. | | | | life balance and performance improvement, and |
| Personal sustainability of the leader is crucial. It is | | | | how that affects their presence, clarity of |
| the lynchpin of effective leadership that supports | | | | thought, and performance. |
| us and holds it all together. Taking care of your | | | | • There is more “space” from which |
| self for effective leadership and executive | | | | to lead. |
| coaching for “work/life balance” will not be | | | | • They’re more centered and present. |
| a new idea or topic for this audience. We’ve | | | | • They can do the work of twelve hours in |
| all been there, done that. But what if: | | | | eight because they’re present, clear-minded |
| • We REALLY created the space for people to | | | | and energized. |
| hold personal sustainability at as high a priority as | | | | • Their engagement is full-force, vs. surviving |
| they would hold for bringing in a multi-million dollar | | | | through the day at half-force making foggy |
| deal, or improving performance for a promotion | | | | decisions resulting in extra work for others and |
| or for good parenting. | | | | lower productivity for themselves. |
| • More organizations provided the space, | | | | Today’s effective leadership has the |
| permission, championing and vehicles to engage in | | | | opportunity to create a future culture that |
| self-care regularly. | | | | nurtures and reveres self care. It’s not just |
| • We connected, on a daily basis, to our own | | | | about personal sustainability; it’s about being |
| PSPs (Personal Sustainability Plans). | | | | fully alive. This is not just about |
| • We lovingly invited folks to stop talking about | | | | “self-focus”; it’s about being our best |
| it and get into action by taking on a whole new | | | | in our relationships, our work and our lives. Leading |
| level of self responsibility, valuing self and others | | | | from this place, combined with the heart, the |
| enough to engage in AUTHENTIC personal | | | | talent and the brilliance of each person, is where |
| sustainability? | | | | we can truly lead the way. It has to start |
| These performance improvement habits are | | | | somewhere and, as coaches and leaders, we are |
| worth the attention. It’s not rocket science, | | | | in a beautiful place to make an impact. |