Leadership & Wellbeing: It’s a Balancing Act! As a leader, you undoubtedly must figure out how to balance your own wellbeing with your responsibilities to the people and tasks you lead. Sometimes you find yourself in optimal situations, thriving environments that provide the resources, autonomy, and support to do your job well. At other times, you find yourself in draining situations, such as when work conditions are toxic, too many demands are thrown your way, or your gut tells you you’re giving a great deal of yourself at work which isn’t reciprocated by the company. How do you respond?  Do you protect your energy and wellbeing? Buffer the pressures that are hurling toward the people you lead? Create islands of thriving right where you are, no matter how else the organization operates? Become defensive and reactive? There is no right answer to these questions—but there are big implications for the path you take. Leadership & Wellbeing are Both a Matter of Resources Organizations and the world are calling for transformational leadership, leaders who are internally well resourced and skilled at building teams around an inspiring vision and purpose, developing and empowering people, taking healthy risks, promoting positive relationships, achieving results…

The definition of Leadership is changing…Are you creating the conditions where people can show up well at work? Mike Petrusky, host of the Workplace Innovator podcast, discussed human-centered leadership and creating a thriving workplace culture with Wisdom Works CEO Renee Moorefield on this latest episode. Listen to the podcast here or via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your chosen platform.  At Wisdom Works, we are passionate about empowering leaders to higher levels of personal and collective effectiveness by building brands, workplaces, and leadership capabilities that advance human thriving. Mike asks Renee how she helps leaders to understand human development, behavior, and thriving to create better employee experiences and work environments. They explore the balance between autonomy and connection and the role they play in our wellbeing. Creating work cultures that foster prosocial behaviors, collaboration, appreciation, and recognition is essential in the future workplace, so Mike and Renee outline the tools needed to become a thriving leader in your organization! “The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit.”—Nelson Henderson

Shared purpose is a powerful tool for team thriving and effectiveness. Just like your body’s connective tissue provides the framework and support structures for your muscles, bones, organs, joints, and other tissues, a deeply-held purpose is akin to connective tissue for your team. A shared purpose aligns your team members toward a clear mission of success, giving the team a strong sense of collective identity and coherence. It adds meaning and significance to your team’s work. It contributes to healthy team bonds, happy and engaged team members, and a positive work culture. Plus, an inspiring shared purpose energizes people on your team to accomplish something worthwhile together that they cannot do alone. A Shared Purpose has a Hidden Power—Yet, It May Not Be What You Think A shared purpose is one of an array of essential factors for building a team that thrives by design, not just by chance. (You can access in-depth insights about the other essential factors for a thriving team here.) When your team actively uses a purpose to steer its decisions and actions, that purpose has a hidden power which is more important than ever: It is an existential fuel to help people stay cognitively flexible,…