Brenda’s Blog

Ok. Now, pause and ask yourself this question… it’s key that you respond honestly:

Where did you place yourself on that list?

Are you #1? Are you #2? Are you #3? Are you #4? Are you #5?

Or … is your name not on the list at all?

Whenever I ask C-Suite coaching clients or corporate speaking audiences this question, about 80-90% say their name is not on the list at all. After all, as leaders, we typically focus our attention on others – our families, our spouse or partner, our kids, direct reports, bosses, board members, peers, clients, customers, patients, etc. … but we pay far less attention to ourselves.

Why does that matter? Think of those five people on that list which you placed ahead of yourself. What would be the impact on them if you were no longer in the picture? It’s a sobering question, but often one that we don’t think about.

That’s why self-care as a leader is just so important.

We’ve all heard the analogy of the airplane mask: “Should an emergency situation occur, you need to put your own oxygen mask on first, before attempting to help those around you.”

It’s the same with your leadership wellbeing. After all, you cannot build a strong brand as a leader if you’re not doing well physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. You bring your whole self to the workplace, so each of those elements matters in your success as a leader – and they impact the way others perceive, think, and feel about you.

With that in mind, stop and ask yourself: What is one thing you could do in the coming week where you could put yourself first? Where’s one area in your life where you really do want to make an improvement for yourself? I encourage you to make at least one commitment to what you will do every day or every week to make sure your name is placed at the top of your priority list!