Blog

As the holidays come to an end, and a new work year approaches, Stephanie Soler shares a few tips on how to re-energize yourself and your team for the year ahead. 

If you’re like most professionals I talk to at the end of the year, you’re feeling exhausted and depleted. And so is your team.

Successful leaders can be very hard on themselves, applying perfectionism and criticism to push themselves to succeed. This toughness works. In the early phase of their careers, they work intensely hard to satisfy their desire for perfection and achieve great results.

Over time, it begins to backfire. This self-flagellation eventually takes its toll and causes burnout and depletion. Moreover, this judgmental approach can bleed into the way they treat others. When they apply that same intense criticism to the people around them, they get poor results. Instead of motivating and inspiring others, they demoralize and wear them down.

To get the most out of yourself and others, balance kindness and toughness – starting with yourself. Many leaders believe that kindness and toughness are mutually exclusive. In reality, we are most open to challenging ourselves and growing when we feel fundamentally worthy and accepted. Kindness is a prerequisite of toughness.

Being kind to yourself is the first step.The more care and compassion you show yourself, the more care and compassion you will show others – which actually makes it easier to set and meet high standards.

Re-energize your head. The way we talk to ourselves creates an environment in our heads. Notice how you talk to yourself. What kind of environment do you create in your head? Do you soothe and praise, focusing on the present moment? Or do you criticize and blame, dwelling on the past and worrying about the future?

Think of someone you love and accept dearly – a friend, child, even a pet. Would you talk to them the way you talk to yourself? To take care of your head, tell yourself the kinds of things you would tell someone you love dearly. Give compliments. Celebrate successes. Put things in perspective.

Timeframe matters. Do you dwell on the past? Worry about the future? Or live in the present moment? When you spend too much energy focused on the past and future, you fill your head with distraction and overwhelm. When you shift your focus to the present moment, you fill your head with clarity and focus.

Key points include:

• Balancing toughness and kindness
• Controlling the inner critic
• Tapping into the present

Read the full article, Re-Energize Yourself (and Your Team), on Linkedin.