THE IMPORTANCE OF LOOKING AFTER YOURSELF  

I know it seems counterintuitive to say that you are number one, given the popularity of the servant leadership model, but let me illustrate the concept with a story.  

Decades ago, I drove from Auckland to Wellington, an eight hour drive the length of the North Island of New Zealand, in order to attend a Wellington College of Education (now Victoria University) interview for a place on their Postgraduate Diploma of Education program. We (my young son and I) got to Wellington late on the day prior to the interview and stayed with some friends just outside of the CBD. I was talking to my friend about primary school teaching and he informed me that his sister was the best teacher that he had ever known. This intrigued me, so I asked why he thought that was the case, and he proceeded to tell me all of the ways in which she was an incredibly conscientious and inspirational educator. I had no doubt that she was a very special person and an incredible teacher and asked where she was currently teaching. He answered that she had actually burnt out and was no longer in the teaching profession at all.

As good as my friend’s sister was, I don’t think anyone can be “the best” if their model of performance isn’t enduring and sustainable. What might have made her great was if she could have been everything that he claimed, hadn’t burnt out, was still teaching to that high level of achievement and still loving the job and the kids.

I completely concur with the need for servant leadership, but it wouldn’t work if the Queen of England spent every waking minute serving her house staff. She has a job to do as the Head of State of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, which her staff would be inadequately positioned to perform for her. Sure, we need to see her performing acts of humble leadership when she’s out amongst the masses, but in order for her to do the very best job she can, she has to look after herself-you may well be reading this after she’s passed away, in which case I acknowledge the incredible reign which she was responsible for. The fact that she was still active as a monarch into her 90’s is testament to the fact that she (and a host of others) looked after her.

You do need to serve your team well, with numerous token gestures of servant leadership that represent humility, but you have to look after yourself also. Keeping an eye on your health, your stress levels, your diet, exercise levels, quality of relationships inside and outside of work all contribute to your overall ability to effectively lead your team.

I agree with Simon Sinek’s notion of “Leaders Eating Last” but that doesn’t mean that leaders don’t eat at all, and that concept as valuable as it is, needs to be balanced with the airline industry’s constant admonition for “adults to put on their own masks first before tending to children”.  

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