Sleep Your Way to the Top & Other Well-Being Tips



I recently attended Washington Women's Leadership Initiative's (WWLI) inaugural event, an amalgamation of female senior leaders from all walks of life and nationalities.



Arianna Huffington, the keynote speaker, was all ours for a glorious 2 hours.



Founder of the Huffington Post and leading lady in the business world, many women waited at the edge of their seats for tips on how to be a female business tycoon.



"You have to sleep your way to the top," she told a giggling crowd of Washington's leading ladies.



"I am a big believer in naps at work and getting at least 8 hours of sleep a day."



Arianna stressed the key to her success was not working longer hours, traveling to more countries and constantly eating at her desk. Instead, self-care and putting human capital first is the key to great leadership. And more than anything, this is her message to leading ladies of the world.



"Leadership needs to change. Organizations need to change. The workplace needs to change. Putting human needs first, that's not selfish. That's smart," Arianna insisted.



So often we in the USA and the West ignore the red flags. Exhaustion is everywhere. It's worn as a badge of honor. Jobs, families, relationships and health suffer. Enormous amounts of leaders are making poor decisions in running their organizations and teams.



What can leaders do to ensure their well-being? The well-being of their followers?



1) Exhaustion should be stigmatized.
Are you thriving, or only surviving? What kind of self-care habits are you embodying? Consider how much sleep, exercise and quiet time you are able to carve out of each day. If you are not at the place you'd like to be in one of these categories, what's getting in the way?



2) Multi-tasking is an illusion.
There is no such thing as doing two things at the same time, and doing them well. How present are you to the person in your conversation if you are on the phone, doing a project, or walking out the door? Treat each conversation as it is the last you will ever have with this person. Be present to the moment. Listen with heart and let the rest go. Trust that the rest of your tasks will be completed in due time.



3) Change from "go-getter" to "go-giver."
There's nothing wrong with wanting to achieve a goal but don't forget to stop and be thankful for all life has to offer. Statistics show adopting an attitude of gratitude directly relates to strong relationships, great careers and longevity. Keep a gratitude journal. Write down 3 small things each day that you are thankful for. And be sure to add a note of the role you played in this positive outcome. After two short weeks you will have retrained your thought-patterns and begin to automatically scan the horizon for positive developments.

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