Over the past couple of months, we’ve been camped out on the topic of The Leader’s Well-Being. At Converge Coaching, we strongly believe our wellbeing is a matter of obedience and not simply a matter of preference. 

It is difficult to honor God in our assignments if we are drowning under the waves of burnout and/or major depression. It is virtually impossible to lead and counsel others unable to make decisions due to exhaustion, burnout, and fatigue.

Our last point of conversation in this series involves exploring what it takes to lead from a full tank. You cannot give what you do not have. Therefore, if we want to be impactful, we must lead from a place of fullness.

Ultimately it is my responsibility as a leader to function out of fullness rather than emptiness. I cannot expect the other people in my life to own that responsibility—it’s mine to steward. Of course, I need other people to get and stay healthy, but it’s my responsibility to create the conditions where health can occur.

We can start this process by understanding we are four things: spiritual, physical, psychological, and social being. To run on a full tank, we must tend carefully to all four of these components.

A big challenge is . . . sometimes I don’t know what fullness feels like. There is no Fitbit to help us monitor our mental and emotional tank. So, until someone invents such a gadget, here are three practical indicators that can help determine if we’re operating from a position of fullness:

Pace

Do you have margin in your schedule? Time to punch out a reasonable hour most days? Time for a real day off each week? An overly full calendar may indicate you are inching toward depletion. Be cognizant of this and adjust accordingly.

 

People

Are your friendships rich? An intentional part of your calendar? Make the effort to spend replenishing, quality time with good friends. Solitude can be a good thing, but only in small doses. Extended solitude contributes to an empty tank.

 

Plan

We tend to plan the longevity of our motor vehicles better than we plan the longevity of our leadership. Figure out a mental/emotional maintenance plan and stick to it. If you don’t know where to start, let us give you a few ideas:

• Laughter: Proverbs 17:22 – “A cheerful heart is good medicine.” Keeping humor and cheer in our lives creates physiological goodness that reduces stress and lifts our mood.  Engage with something or someone who makes you laugh.
• Exercise: We rarely get an “amen” from the crowd when we touch on this idea. However, keeping our bodies active obviously has physical benefits. But the emotional benefits are powerful as well. Exercise reduces stress and releases feel-good endorphin in our brain. Incorporate movement into your lifestyle.
• Healthy Distraction: A healthy distraction might be an enjoyable hobby. Playing eighteen holes of golf. Planting flowers. Reading for pleasure. Something benign that takes your mind off the day-to-day pressures of leading.
• Sleep: No tank-filling plan is complete without making sure you’re getting enough sleep. So many important physiological things happen within our bodies while we sleep: Our brain flushing toxins and repairing itself is one of those important effects.

Furthermore, sleep deprivation leads to diminished mental and emotional capacity. Often, when I lack sleep, I find myself easily irritated and overly emotional. These are warning signs a nap may be required. Sleep well, friends.

One last thought: We honor God when we operate in life and leadership with a full tank. We honor Him by taking ownership of our well-being spiritually, physically, psychologically, and socially. As one who is currently in a remarkably busy and overwhelming season, know that I (Jaime) am right in the middle of this with you!

And as always, we at Converge Coaching are rooting and praying for you.

John & Jaime