Leaders: I Wish You Peace
As 2023 draws to a close, I wish you peace. While it may sound a little funny to wish peace in an article directed at business leaders, that is exactly what I wish for you in 2024. As the last few years have shown, effectively leading a company has become harder than ever. COVID-19 and the many changes it has triggered concerning when, where, and how people work has left many leaders feeling confused and frankly, overwhelmed.
Watching the news doesn’t help.
2023 saw: inflation spike to levels not seen since the 1970s, mass shootings traumatize communities from coast to coast, the idyllic island of Maui devastated by wildfire, a former president charged in four separate criminal indictments, and the Middle East explode into violence while the war in Ukraine continues to mercilessly grind on.
These days it seems we are all fatigued, whether we lead others or not. Layering leadership responsibilities on top of the weightiness of life makes for even more feelings of anxiety, if not outright despair. Ever the optimist, I still believe there’s a silver lining to be found in even the darkest of clouds.
If, like me, you’re seeking a respite from so much madness, here are ways to pursue peace within yourself and with others this holiday season:
Create room for grief for yourself and your people. The events of the past few years represent loss to many. Corporate cultures that make it safe to discuss loss are healthier than those that consider such conversations taboo. Grieving people must be able to talk about the person or life aspect they lost and know others care about what they are experiencing. Research backs this up, indicating employees who feel unsupported in their grief are often likelier to search for jobs elsewhere.
Don’t practice “toxic positivity” and/or try to talk people out of their feelings. It’s important to recognize sadness as a legitimate emotion signaling a loss. Leaders who are unable to acknowledge negative feelings, including depression, or who force upbeat attitudes in the face of emotional devastation, often leave the people experiencing those emotions feeling unvalued and unseen.
Lean in to being with people who can hold the negative and positive stuff of life all at once. Integrated individuals don’t see life as all good or all bad at any point in time. Instead, they can hold the complexity of unhappiness and experience joy as it comes. Actually, peace can be undermined when we try to be with those who are incapable of holding our less than positive emotions—while also sharing joy with us when the time arises.
Prioritize your own wellness and that of your people. If you haven’t already, invest in your own emotional development. Don’t know where to start? I recommend reading Susan David, PhD’s book Emotional Agility and signing up for her email newsletter. It’s a terrific resource. I also suggest investing in a coach or counselor to better navigate work and life in these tumultuous times.
Leave open space on your calendar to recharge and let your mind wander at least a few times per week. Staying extra busy to avoid anxiety or other challenging emotions only results in short-term numbing. It does little to help you grow or move forward. Instead, it’s critical to step away at times. When you do, you will often return to work feeling refreshed and even inspired, leading to new and helpful insights.
Develop a community of friends. At moments like these, connection with others who are supportive is more important than ever. Leaders need to have a close circle of friends they can interact with outside of their organizations. These are people you can be frank with, receive perspective from, and who will celebrate with you.
Schedule and take vacations, even if just a few days at a time. You might feel you can never take day off but that’s not true. You will come back better able to lead and do good work. Moreover, if you make time to do something restorative for you, you may feel your inner peace increase.
Practice gratitude. Keep a journal where you can write down two or three things you are thankful for each day. In the midst of wars, pandemics, wildfires, and other disasters, there still are so many things for which we can be grateful. We need to continually pause and notice those things. Inner peace can also expand as you practice gratitude.
While so much of the heartbreak we see unfolding around the world leaves us feeling there is no way we can make an impact, serving and caring for those around us is something we can do. Please lend a helping hand to a neighbor. Volunteer to local service groups. Contribute to vetted charities and relief organizations.
The world has always been a chaotic place to live. But it’s also beautiful and miraculous if we are willing to see things differently. It’s my hope that these insights give you some comfort and some holiday cheer. Ultimately, we can bring us all closer to peace, even if it’s just one person at a time.