Obsessing About Work? Your Inner Leadership Journey Is the Solution.
In a recent leadership coaching session, a leader articulated two important mindset shifts they were experiencing:
Obsessing about work, especially after hours, was not a requirement for them to be good at their job.
There’s a limit to how far external learning and certifications would get them in their career.
This leader had a habit of not letting work go, keeping them from being able to fully focus on the other things that also mattered to them – their children, marriage, and rest, for example. In addition, they discovered their many degrees and leadership certifications could only get them so far in their climb towards top leadership roles.
Do these struggles with work-life balance and career growth sound familiar?
Realizing that the Real Leadership Work is Inner Work
“My ability to successfully lead all comes down to working on me as a person.”
Many leaders recognize work is only part of their identity, and yet they still struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance. That’s because “getting work-life balance” actually requires deep personal work, just like my client discovered.
My client started to see that the most impactful aspect of leadership development was an inside game.
The 'inner journey' of leadership development is perhaps the most powerful and most useful, but a lot of leaders don't know what this looks like or where to start.
Here are three ways to begin your inner leadership work:
Force yourself to let go of obsessing about work.
The best way to start doing this is to find a class or hobby outside of work that pulls you away.Consciously balance your perform-recover cycles.
Know where you are in the cycle throughout your day.Work on your inner journey by getting to know yourself better.
If you have a reaction, ask yourself why. If you notice a mood, get curious about what brought it on. If you feel stuck with this one, a coach can help!
You CAN have a fulfilling and impactful leadership role without the obsession and burnout. What resources will you tap into today to support your inner leadership journey?
