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SUMMARY:

In her Global Leadership Summit 2019 talk, Jo Saxton advocated for leaders to pay attention to their wellness and well-being. Her memorable quote, “You have one body and your leadership lives in it,” resonated with our audience. In this episode of the GLS Podcast, she explores the wellness topic more deeply with podcast host Jason Jaggard. In her warm and accessible way, Jo tackles tough topics like the importance of rest, the work of therapy and the challenges of imposter syndrome.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• When I think of wellness, I think of well-being: mental well-being, emotional well-being and intellectual well-being. Wellness is about who we are on the inside, being more integrated and at peace.

• For much of my life, I felt that wellness was a luxury.

• Rest is the fuel to our fires. When we rest, we are better thinkers, creatives and better leaders.

• Make it a practice to become self-aware about the ways you rest and recharge.

• We all have a story behind our stories. As a Nigerian female growing up in Britain in the 80s, I was told that I needed to be at least twice as good as everyone else. Ultimately, maintaining that level of exceptionalism became a burden. We are living out the wounds of our stories all the time.

• You can uncover your gaps by asking questions like “Who were you before anyone told you who you were supposed to be?” or “Who were you before life happened to you?”

• Reflect on whether you are regularly waking up more tired when you come to sleep or if you are incessantly irritable. Pay attention to where the responses are disproportionate.

• The reason I advocate for therapy is that I’m always better on the other side.

• Your dysfunctions and wounds are shaping your leadership, so why not do something about it?

• Therapy is like going to the gym for your emotional well-being.

• There are many faces of imposter syndrome: the perfectionist, the expert, the natural genius, the soloist and the super-human. Every one of those begs for you to prove yourself by being invincible.

• You have one body and one life—and your leadership lives in it. Make the most of it. Look after it. You’re worth it.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

1. Jo Saxton covered several different aspects of well-being in this podcast. Think about your own life. Which of her insights seemed most relevant to you right now? Check all the boxes that apply.

 Acknowledging your need for rest

 Becoming self-aware of how you recharge

 Gaining awareness of how your team recharges

 Understanding the wounds that are driving you

 Combatting imposter syndrome

 Paying attention to dis-proportionate responses

2. Look at all the boxes you checked. If you could address only one challenge over the next year, select the one that would have the biggest impact on your wellness.

3. What could you do this week to take the first step?

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Level-Up Your Leadership, Jo Saxton GLS Talk

British Nigerians

Postpartum Depression

The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women by Valerie Young

RELATED LINKS:

Jo Saxton

Jo Saxton’s Website

Lead Stories Podcast

Jason Jaggard

Novus Global

The Global Leadership Summit