3 Strategies to Become the Leader you Envision in Work and Life

How do you thrive in both work and life? What’s realistic? With all the demands on your time and attention, what does “good” look like for you? Are you the leader you envision in your work and life?

Take a moment to appreciate how much your work environment has changed over the last three years, and the impact on your life.

My clients tell me that they feel this expectation of being “always on” with constant notifications across platforms including email, Slack, Microsoft Teams and text, to name a few.

Moreover, the intensity of the day is exasperated by back-to-back meetings with little time to actually accomplish the work everyone is talking about.

In addition, working remotely has increased flexibility yet also the obligation to get more done while at home during the work day. It may also mean you don’t get “dressed” for work anymore, and the “me” you see looking back at you in the mirror no longer looks like the “professional” self you recognize.

It’s not surprising that you may end your day with a feeling that very little has actually been accomplished despite being exhausted.

When was the last time you took stock and made conscious decisions about how you’re showing up?

Here are three strategies to further become the best version of yourself in work and life.

1) Create The Balance You Need 

Balance does not mean equal time to everything. Take stock of your level of satisfaction across multiple aspects of your life. Utilizing The Wheel of Life is an excellent exercise in visualizing your current state. If zero (the center of the wheel) is no satisfaction, and 10 is maximum satisfaction, where does each aspect of your life fall? This will help you visualize the parts of your life that are flourishing, and what parts of your life may need attention. 

Also consider, how do you support your wellbeing in each area? How do you de-prioritize or get in your own way of thriving? What are three small, specific changes you can make to support your wellbeing? 

Last week, I coached a group of leaders. Two of the leaders looking to improve their health satisfaction of the wheel committed to exercising two days a week and sending a post-work out picture to the group. One leader who was prioritizing others’ needs before her own also committed to showering after the workout to take a much needed moment of self care. The other leader determined that her two times a week exercise would be a one-hour walk, which not only supported physical health but also gave her desperately needed alone time. 

2) Don’t go at it alone

Developing a personal board of advisors that are invested in your success (as defined by you) is instrumental. Colleagues, mentors, and friends with their own viewpoints and expertise can provide a powerful form of guidance and accountability as you continue towards the best version of yourself as a person and leader. If you have a partner, establish and maintain communication specifically regarding home and work to find alignment and support amongst each other for your needs and goals. Having support within your personal life for your goals is vital to the support you are able to provide as an effective leader in your field. 

In the case of our leaders exercising twice a week, that support is coming in the form of committing to the group and sending a post workout photo, which provides both accountability and encouragement. What does your support look like to you?

3) Establish and respect boundaries

In developing effective work life integration, you need to be conscious of how you are spending your time. A day completely filled with meetings without scheduled time for focused work is not necessarily effective, and is likely setting a negative example for your team. If you’re “always on,” your team will have the expectation to be as well.

Working more than 45 hours per week is detrimental to both physical and mental health and productivity per hour declines around 50 hours per week which means working more than 55 hours is pointless. 

How are you being efficient with your time and your team’s time? What are the most impactful actions you can take to achieve your leadership goals within your work? 

You can manage your work and manage your life through clear priorities, effective support and boundaries. Your time and focus is precious. Be ruthlessly efficient and realistic about the demands of each sector of the wheel. Sometimes this means looking for methods of care and support that serve multiple needs, like the leader who is getting exercise and alone time through her one-long walk. Through balancing and growing your own leadership, you can set the example for your team and flourish holistically as the best version of yourself. Please know this happens through incremental change, commitment, and self reflection. Your growth is personal. It's about your needs and dreams so I am parting you with the most important way you become the leader you envision in both work and life:

Above all, be kind to yourself.