‘In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop from the panel above you. If you are travelling with a child or someone who requires assistance, secure your own mask first, and then assist the other person.’

We were travelling with two very young kids when, for the first time, I took notice of this announcement. My instinct screamed to help my kids first—until I realised the brutal truth: without oxygen, I would be useless to them, I would be compromised.

This principle revolutionises how we think about leadership effectiveness. You cannot lead others effectively if you are operating from a state of depletion.

I would suggest that self-leadership and personal effectiveness are like a Venn diagram, with a significant overlap. In my coaching practice, I view self-leadership and personal effectiveness as foundational to effective leadership.

Depending on whom you talk to, you will hear a wide range of views on what constitutes personal effectiveness. My very practical definition is to show up and be the best version of yourself as you lead others. If you broadly accept this definition, it’s helpful to consider the behaviours and practices that result in sustained personal effectiveness.

Research consistently shows that 76% of senior leaders report elevated levels of burnout, directly correlating with:

• 23% decrease in team productivity
• 40% increase in employee turnover
• 50% higher likelihood of critical decision-making errors

The question is not whether you can afford to invest in self-leadership—it is whether you can afford not to.

Behaviours and Practices of Personal Effectiveness

Sense of Self-Belief: Your Decision-Making Foundation

The Reality: Leaders with strong self-awareness make decisions 25% faster and with 40% greater accuracy.

Self-belief is all about knowing yourself, being self-aware, and attuned to your strengths, gifts, and skills, as well as your deficiencies, and accepting yourself. It is about being ‘comfortable in your own skin,’ backing yourself with an inner confidence.

If you are self-aware, you can change certain behaviours that need changing and strengthen areas that increase your capability as a leader. Helpful tools and resources to increase your self-awareness include 360 feedback surveys (the Hogan 360 survey is particularly effective), personality assessments, and reflection practices, such as taking the time to reflect on what worked and what did not in specific projects.

A keen sense of self-belief will manifest positively in the way a leader makes decisions. Decision making is principled, objective, includes analysis and is executed with conviction, i.e. the leader backs themselves.

Sometimes, the confidence that leaders manifest can be perceived as arrogance. The difference is a confident leader is often also a person who exhibits humility… they do not feel the need to ‘blow their trumpet’ and talk about themselves and constantly promote themselves. If the team does well, they affirm the team rather than taking the accolade for success.

Leadership can be a lonely place at times, so it is essential to care for yourself and surround yourself with positive people whose values align with your own. This will assist in sustaining your self-belief.

Ability to Regulate Your Behaviour: Your Leadership Lifebuoy

The Reality: Teams led by emotionally intelligent leaders show 20% better performance and 30% higher retention.

This relates to one’s Emotional Intelligence. Emotional intelligence begins with being self-aware, i.e., being aware of your emotions, moods, and the people and things that trigger them. If we are self-aware, that is half the solution; however, we also need to be able to consistently self-regulate. We need to suspend judgment of our people, assume positive intent, and refrain from emotional outbursts.

Employees tend to observe the behaviour of their leader, and if they view their leader as calm (under pressure) and consistent, it instils respect. The opposite behaviour leads to a lack of trust and cynicism. A leader who receives high trust will engender high performance among their team members.

Some practical techniques for self-regulation in high-pressure situations include focusing on your breathing (deep and slow), taking a time-out for a few minutes to collect yourself and rest if necessary. Reframing can help with your sense of self-belief if you are doubting yourself or experiencing the impostor syndrome.

For example, you have an important presentation to the Executive Team and your inner voice is saying, ‘This is going to be a trainwreck, they probably won’t even listen to my points of view.’

The reframe could be ‘I’ve received positive feedback from previous presentations to senior leaders, and I know the material well, so I will perform as well as I have in the past.’

No leader is an island, so it is very productive for a leader to seek feedback consciously and proactively from their team regarding their social awareness (what is working and what is not, and what one positive change they could make).

The Payoff: Calm, consistent leaders create psychologically safe environments that foster team growth and success.

Participate in Regular Exercise: Your Energy Management System

The Reality: Physically fit executives demonstrate 15% better cognitive performance and 25% higher energy levels throughout the day.

In today’s frenetically paced world, time is a precious commodity. As work becomes hectic, pressure builds, and deadlines loom, regular exercise is often an area that falls by the wayside, or we relapse; self-care is relegated to a second-order priority.

Regular exercise (three to four times a week; preferably aerobic) has so many benefits, both physical and psychological, that it is an area that ought to be a top priority.

If this is an area that you find challenging, I encourage you to read the book “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, which offers helpful and practical ways to maintain regular exercise patterns, among other healthy habits.

The Multiplier Effect: Your physical state has a direct impact on your team’s energy and motivation.

Maintain a Healthy, Balanced Diet: Your Performance Fuel

The Reality: Leaders who maintain balanced diets report 30% better focus and 20% improved decision-making under pressure.

Most of us have a love affair with food…we love to eat. Food is the catalyst for social interaction, which is special; however, it also has a potential downside…consuming rich, processed food, sometimes on the run or in between meetings.

Again, like exercise, adhering to a balanced diet rich in fibre, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and lean foods have many benefits and contributes to our overall well-being. Also, being cognizant of our calorie intake is beneficial. Having a daughter who is a dietitian, I am often reminded about the importance of healthy eating, for which I am eternally grateful!

Ensure Regular Sleeping Patterns: Your Recovery Protocol

The Reality: Well-rested leaders process information 40% faster and demonstrate 60% better emotional regulation.

In history, we find examples of people who survived on minimal sleep. Notable examples include Winston Churchill, who, during the war years, would catnap under his desk, and Maggie Thatcher, who was known to get by on four hours’ sleep. They are rare exceptions.

Sleep is restorative, and the recommendation is that most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep every night. Naturally, there are times when this is not achievable, but such instances should be the exception rather than the norm.

Regular exercise, combined with a balanced diet and healthy sleeping patterns, contributes to sustaining leaders and correlates to a positive sense of well-being, which in turn contributes to self-confidence and self-belief.

Balance Between Working ‘on’ and’ in’ the Business: Your Focus Force-Multiplier

The Reality: Leaders who spend 20% of their time “on” the business (vs. “in” it) drive 35% better long-term results.

This is a perennial issue and an area that rears its head with most leaders during my business coaching sessions – ‘I can barely get through all the operational aspects of my role without putting aside time to innovate, review and plan.’ Sound familiar? Well, it is a regular lament of leaders.

So, what can I do, I hear you say! Your diary is a strategic tool, so use it as your friend. If you intentionally schedule time in your diary to conduct reviews, plan, and think creatively, there is a much greater propensity for it to occur as opposed to thinking about it.

Start small, i.e. make an aspirational commitment of the time you want to spend working ‘on’ versus ‘in’ the business (e.g. 90% in and 10% on). Schedule this time in your diary on a repeat cycle and stick to it.

The Protection Protocol: Schedule these sessions first, then build everything else around them.

Maintain Regular Planning Time: Your Thought Leadership Tool

When the going gets tough, it is so easy to fall into the trap of simply putting your head down and slogging it out, and that is never sustainable over time.

 So, the question to ask yourself is, how much time do I set aside in my diary to plan and prioritise the things I need to achieve over a given time?

The following cadence may work for you:

• Annually, allocate a day to review the year and what worked and what needs to change. Consider the ‘big rocks’ that need focus in the year ahead and establish quarterly, prioritised milestones.
• Quarterly, put aside approximately two hours at the end or beginning of each quarter, identifying the goals and actions that must be started and completed in the quarter, as well as the areas that need to start but do not necessarily need to be completed within the quarter. Be sure to schedule time in the diary during the quarter to dedicate to these goals and actions.
• Monthly, allocate an hour to repeat the same exercise as per the quarterly planning and allocate time in the diary for these actions.
• Weekly, some leaders find it beneficial to conduct a weekly planning session to prioritise their time for the week ahead. It is always an option if you know it will benefit you and your way of working and operating; however, it is not for everyone.

If a leader has made a commitment to self and has scheduled regular planning times in the diary, then those times must be honoured and protected. Where this is a challenge, it may be beneficial to communicate to the team and other relevant internal stakeholders about those times and why they are sacrosanct.

Conclusion

So, in answer to the question in the title of this article, it is not an option whether we invest time in personal effectiveness; it is a necessity, and the benefits to you, the leader, your teams, and the organisation are immense.

 Most leaders are fully aware and appreciative of the benefits of the above areas, but so often life gets in the way. The challenge is to count the cost of not adopting these essential behaviours and practices. Then it is a case of moving from intention to commitment with rigour and discipline.

Ready to transform your leadership effectiveness? Start with one pillar today. Your future self—and your team—will thank you!