Wellness in Your Leadership

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Leaders must prioritize pursuits that enable them to perform at their best. The specific types of activities will vary between individuals, but they should include reading, writing, exercising, observing religious or spiritual practices, and dedicating time to personal relationships.

We can find similar teachings to the advice above in every self-help book on the market. Read the books "Leadership on the Line" and "Never Finished" for unfiltered and practical advice. Despite the many resources available, it’s rare to find leaders practicing the precepts they read and preach.

Leadership Vulnerabilities

I’ve struggled at various points in my leadership journey. Isolation and accomplishing goals have mattered more to me than friendships. While my health and wellness habits have always kept me in the gym or outdoors running somewhere, I haven’t prioritized other aspects of my leadership game.

Sometimes, I’m quiet and soft-spoken when I need to raise my voice and speak up. I’ve struggled to distinguish between humility, confidence, and arrogance. I acknowledge these shortcomings not to elicit your sympathy, but because vulnerability is also a cornerstone of effective leadership.

The brave leader recognizes their weaknesses as an area for improvement. 

Why this discussion about leadership?

We have poor examples of leaders with notable titles on blocks with abandoned homes and in districts with the White House. It’s essential to teach leaders about integrity, work habits, social justice, and additional values.

A solid leader knows when to follow and when to lead. They understand when to speak and when to shut up. Experience, learning resources, and mentorship can encourage wise decisions.

In my writing closet…

My writing closet is a small, narrow, windowless room, but it’s responsible for fostering ideas bigger than “big, beautiful bills.” It’s where I do much of my writing at home. Whenever locked inside, I place a sign on the doorknob that reads, “Do Not Disturb, Writer at Work.”

Last Saturday, before I left for Umoja’s Student Leadership Summit, I stood at my writing desk nestled in a corner of my closet. I turned on my computer and began outlining this post.

On quiet mornings, I write for voices silenced by oppression. When I listen to my conscious mind and acknowledge altruistic tendencies, I must recognize that I write to express parts of me. To process optimism and pessimism, I translate conflicting perspectives into sentences.

Outside…

When I leave my writing closet and run, I reflect on the ideas formed in solitude and consider their impact on the community. Yesterday, before my presentation, I found the missing components of my student leadership workshop. Me.

I had planned to quote the ideas of leadership gurus and cultural figures reflective of the opening sentences of this post. While many of the popular leadership strategies resonate with my experiences, I’ve also gained unique perspectives.

A few of my uncommon choices include: marrying and becoming a father while earning a PhD, encouraging my sons to wear dread locks, starting to learn capoeira in my 20s and continuing to train in my 40s, turning down an employment option to move abroad and build a failing business, authoring five books, maintaining a weekly blog for seven years, running multiple marathons, refusing to travel during the COVID pandemic, teaching at a Caribbean medical school, the list continues —I’ve gained valuable leadership insights.

Here are three essential student leadership lessons:

1.        Embrace the fullness of your identities and experiences. Hug the beautiful and hold the painful moments that make you human. Always avoid stagnation by working diligently and consistently seeking growth opportunities.

2.        Tap into your physical, mental, and spiritual powers. Exercise, read, pray, meditate, or practice yoga, EVERY DAY. You need holistic strength to withstand the pressure from others to compromise your values.

3.        Cultivate courage through difficult decisions. Move abroad or to a community where you don’t know anyone. Learn a new language and do something that scares or makes you uncomfortable.

ETC… there’s more.

How did the students respond to my message, and what else did I share? I’ll answer those questions in next week’s blog post.

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