Empathy and Self-Care as Leadership Skills

It may seem counterintuitive when flight attendants ask passengers to put their oxygen masks on first before attending to their children. But it makes sense. You have to take care of yourself before you can care for others. The same is true for association CEOs, especially through the turbulence of 2020 and, presumably, the long road to recovery that lies ahead.

The past year has derailed a lot of conventional wisdom about work-life balance, self-care, and mental health. Working remotely was often seen as a “privilege” and perceived as an excuse to coast at home. With many people working longer hours than ever before  (opens in a new tab)—at home—that myth has almost certainly been debunked Likewise, employers often talked about employee mental health, but were they actively supporting it? Another misconception was that self-care was all about spa treatments and relaxation.

“Self-care is not an indulgence, it’s an investment,” says Christina Lewellen, CAE, executive director of the Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools. “It is truly a leadership skill that CEOs need to master. Because if we don’t do it for ourselves, nobody is going to do it for us.”