Heath Gunn is the Managing Director at Move that Mountain
Do you feel the weight of the entire world on your shoulders? You are not alone.
Leadership can be extremely rewarding, but can also lead to burnout and stress. Leadership coaching can help alleviate these feelings of anxiety or overwhelm.
Leadership Stress
Let’s face it: Leadership is hard. The weight of the responsibility can be crippling. A recent survey found that nearly 60%[1]of leaders feel worn out by the end of every day.
This is a lot tired leaders! Why is this happening, though?
No wonder that burnout is a problem for 65% of all leaders. It not only impacts their well-being, but also the productivity of their team and overall performance.
Leadership coaching is here to assist
How can you prevent burnout and stress through leadership coaching?
Imagine a coach as a personal trainer to help you develop your leadership skills. A good coach can help you identify stressors and develop coping mechanisms, as well as build resilience. Leadership coaching can have a positive impact on you, your team, and your business.
- Personalised Support:
Each leader is different, as are the stressors that they face. A coach will tailor their approach to meet your needs and give you the support you need to tackle those issues that are important to you.
- Improved Self-Awareness
Understanding the sources of stress is the first step in managing it. Coaching can help you gain insight into your behaviours, triggers and stress reactions. Self-awareness can be crucial to making positive changes, and for building trust and relationships within your team.
- Effective Time Management
Leaders often struggle with time management. Coaches help you to prioritise your tasks, delegate without micromanaging and develop a balanced approach to work. This can reduce the feeling that you are overwhelmed and improve your life outside of work.
- Improved Communication Skills
Ineffective communication can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts. These are both major stressors. Coaching can help you develop effective communication strategies that will make your interactions with your team more efficient and productive.
- Building Resilience
Resilience is a person’s ability to bounce back after a setback. You can build emotional and mental resilience with the help of coaches.
Tips to Reduce Stress
You can reduce your stress levels and burnout by following these tips:
- Set Boundaries:
Setting clear boundaries between your work and private life is important. You might want to turn off your email notifications at a specific time, or set aside certain times for hobbies and relaxing activities.
- Practice Mindfulness:
Meditation and deep breathing are mindfulness techniques that have helped me immensely. They can also help you to stay grounded and reduce your stress. A few minutes each day can make an enormous difference.
- Seek support:
Do not be afraid to rely on your network of support. It doesn’t matter if it is a trusted mentor, coach or colleague. Having someone to talk to will help you deal with stress and find solutions.
- Stay Active
Exercise is an excellent way to relieve stress. You can find an exercise that you like, whether it’s a gym session, jogging, or even walking your dog. Make it a part of your daily routine.
- Prioritise Self-Care:
Leaders must take care of themselves. Self-care doesn’t have to be selfish. Spend time on activities that will recharge you. This could be reading, talking to loved ones, taking up a new hobby, or learning a skill.
Final Thoughts
Leadership coaching can be a powerful tool to reduce stress and avoid burnout. Coaching can help you overcome the challenges of being a leader with ease by providing personalised support and improving self-awareness. You know the answers but you might not know how to find them, I tell many of my clients.
You can move mountains with the help of a coach.
If you are feeling the pressure of leadership, investing in coaching could be the best thing to do. You might make the best choice for you and your team. Let’s talk about what I can do to help.
Keep your heart and mind in the game.
[1] https://www.apollotechnical.com/leadership-statistics/ [2] https://quixy.com/blog/statistics-on-leadership-that-you-should-not-miss/
The original version of this article, Leadership coaching and burnout: How to reduce it, appeared first on Human Resources News.
