Leadership Strategies And Corporate Wellness

Estimated read time 5 min read

Do you want to be a resilient leader?

You’re not alone.

It is something we all ask about wellness programs.

My story is simple

I started leading our first company called Oak Innovation after chronic and severe heart conditions meant that my husband was no longer part of the company.

Of course, I was nervous about taking the lead position. Yes, I had been part of the company. But, in many ways, the company was my husband’s baby.

And, understanding that I needed to step up is one thing.

Now, I had to look at how to do this.

I researched lots of management and leadership books. And I asked so many questions my head started to spin.

So, how do you build a resilient company? How do you develop a team? What is needed to create a resilient company? How to be a resilient leader?

My main finding is that there are ten simple steps to becoming a leader.

1. Remember to stay calm

But first an admission.

I get really tired of one-trick management consultants. They tell leaders that they need to change. But consistently fail to show them how. I even hate how they make the leader feel foolish as if they are deficient in some fashion.

Yes, rapid change is necessary at times.

But, stay calm – change takes time and promoting wellness is essential.

Building internal adaptability ensures that you do not run before you can walk.

And, your ability to stay calm while others around you are losing their heads will guarantee that you are seen as trustworthy and dependable by your team.

Stop. Breathe. And take your time.

2. Always find the opportunity

A leader is constantly looking for opportunities.

And you know what?

I’ve learned that there are opportunities for wellness in every situation.

Don’t be blindsided by emotions and panic.

Focus on the opportunity for wellness straight away.

Remember, there is always at least one opportunity within every situation.

Sounds good, right?

3. Understand that there are always different perspectives

We live in rapidly changing times, and as leaders, we have seen so many developments to fill a lifetime.

And, in reality, some companies are probably more at risk than ever before.

Consider the different perspectives that exist in your current situation.

What perspective do you choose?

And why?

4. Keep watching your long-term vision

Show your team that you understand where they are coming from.

Recognize and acknowledge their fears, hopes and dreams.

Be clear. And give your team a distinct picture of what you are planning.

And, keep an eye on the end game while you work within manageable pieces.

5. Be open to changing you

I used to think that I was on a particular path. I believed that I knew where I was going. And what I am great at.

But then, I was struck by a second sudden and traumatic event.

It came out of nowhere. And, it stopped me in my tracks. Everything changed. And, my life became topsy turvy.

Out of the depths, I learned that I had to become open to changing “me”.

And that being open to changing yourself is a significant step in becoming a leader.

Plus, a step toward post-traumatic growth.

6. Understand that change can be stressful

One of our challenges as resilient leaders is that our skills must continually improve.

In truth, leadership is a journey rather than a destination.

You know that change always causes some level of stress. This is due to a fear of the future or comfort in the past.

The fact is that some individuals find change hard.

And acknowledging that change can be stressful doesn’t mean we’re not coping.

It means we are human.

It’s OK to be stressed. But, it’s not OK to deny this emotion exists.

7. Focus on the present

I used to think a lot about the past. And I dare say I spent too much on what I did wrong.

In fact, post-mortems about past decisions were a common preoccupation of mine.

Sound familiar?

Then, I went through a period of focusing on the future and wellness.

Things were bright. But, too aspirational.

Then I landed, by mistake, on an essential aspect of leadership.

Want to know what it is?

Well, the past is gone. The future hasn’t happened yet.

So, live in the now. And deal with them now, today.

8. Learn to trust yourself

Think about this for a moment.

Teams excel on trust and they become successful with leadership.

So, you first must trust yourself. Your self-assurance promotes confidence and guides how you connect with your team in a meaningful way.

Trust that everything will work out. And, remember you can do it.

Note how success and wellness is nothing new to leaders – we survive and adapt every day.

But, we must believe in ourselves.

9. Make sure to stretch yourself

The simplest of all the steps.

And this is a beautiful trick for leadership.

Stretch yourself in little ways every day. Start with small steps and build your confidence.

And what’s more.

While you make these changes, your team builds more trust in you.

So new changes become easier to implement.

10. Be open to change

I’ve learned a lot from great business writers like John Kotter, Tom Peters, Henry Mintzberg, and Sheryl Sandberg.

Of course, there are hundreds more that we can talk about.

When we think of leaders and wellness, we assume everything works smoothly for them. We don’t see their challenges or struggles towards wellness.

But, we do understand that the first step is to be open to change.

A final thought on wellness programs

Of course, it’s easy to quote business gurus as innovators in this area.

I believe that it’s the lesser-known legends that we should consider.

They are just like you and me.

And, they live their advice on wellness in companies every day.

Kay Fitzgerald M. A. https://theresilientmanager.com/author/admin/

Kay Fitzgerald is a health promotion specialist, course developer and researcher studying personal resilience in the workplace and trauma. Catherine received her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Studies and a Master’s in Health Promotion from University College Cork.

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