In her blog,  B has posted a leadership story about a highly valuable, under communicated topic.  She discusses the necessity for leaders to know their own limits, practice effective self-care and to trust their surrounding community to navigate especially challenging times.  Through an open and honest personal story B relays her own journey and recovery where important lessons were learned. B concludes her story with an invitation to join her in valuing self care thus allowing us to thrive and to recognize that we need each other for this to take place.

Personally, I really value the lesson, the journey, and the implications for successful leadership which stem from this story.  I am sure that anyone who has been in leadership for a time has learned similar lessons.  The problem is that this is one of those lessons which we are better off not to learn from experience.  Sure, if we get to our breaking point, we will definitely internalize the importance of not letting it happen again, but in doing so we will have wasted precious time and opportunity.

I understand the altruistic mindset of the leader which makes us susceptible to this type of situation.  We have to be strong, we have to have answers, we have to be the example, and on and on.  Unfortunately as we seek to be the rock for someone else in these situations, the foundation of strength we try to provide becomes one built from crumbling stone.

I have had the good fortune of encountering an author who directly addresses this topic.  Dr. Richard Swenson has written a book called Margin and a follow up book entitled The Overload Syndrome. The focus of these books are about learning to live our lives within our limits.  If we intentionally build margin in our life then we have the capacity to actually serve people and support them when we inevitably encounter situations when we need to get more involved.  Without a margin then we are left with two unfavorable choices, walk away or trend toward burnout.

Thank you B for this great reminder and for the encouragement to allow ourselves to thrive by setting limits and caring for ourselves so we may in turn care for others.

 

B. (2018) Leadership story. Thoughts about life and ministry in an urban setting. Retrieved from https://create.twu.ca/b121/2018/11/my-leadership-story/

Swenson, R (2004). Margin: restoring emotional, physical, financial and time reserves to overloaded lives. Navpress. Colarado Springs.

Swenson, R. (1999). The Overload Syndrome: learning to live within your limits. Navpress. Colorado Springs.