As leaders, we often put high expectations on ourselves.

✓ We want to achieve all the important goals without sounding unreasonable.
✓ We want to handle any tough challenges without being clueless.
✓ We want to exude positivity despite our negative surroundings.
✓ We want to show care and empathize with our people despite our own personal wellbeing.
✓ We want to always show up, no matter the challenges we encounter.

Unfortunately, we often do these alone without enough support system in place.
And leadership can sometimes feel lonely at the top.

According to Gallup, managers report higher stress, burnout, and worse physical wellbeing and work-life balance than those they manage.
And in the current fast-paced environment we are working in, this will continue to exacerbate if we do not consciously deal with it.

I learned about leadership fatigue from my conversation with Katharine Manning in Tech Lead Journal episode 123.
We discussed that leading during this time can take a toll on us.

Even though we want to do our best to support our people, we should also not forget to take care of ourselves.
Or else we won't be able to help anyone else.

Here are my 6 tips leaders can do to take care of ourselves:
• Have a daily reset routine that completely detaches you from work-related tasks and thoughts.
• Focus on what we can control. And know that we always control how we respond.
• Build our personal support channel. Know at least 5 people we can talk to, whom will empathetically listen to our sharing.
• Set our boundaries and know that it is acceptable to say no.
• Be conscious of our burnout warning signs. We should take a break and reach out for support when necessary.
• Reconnect with our “why” for choosing a leadership role and assess whether it still holds true.