- This topic has 4 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 1 week, 2 days ago by Amna Khawar Chishti.
In my early years, I believed that to be a great leader, I had to be the hardest worker in the room, the first one to sign on and the last one to leave. I wore my “always-on” status like armour, but it was actually a weight. By prioritising late-night emails over rest, I was inadvertently eroding my own capacity for empathy and strategic thinking. I was leading, but I was hollow.
The turning point came when I stopped letting the world dictate my first waking moments. I traded morning anxiety for five minutes of quiet reflection. This simple habit of starting the day grounded has redefined my leadership style. It has taught me that when I am at peace with myself, I am far more capable of navigating the pressures of the day with a calm, decisive presence. Another secret daily habit I began was consciously choosing kindness. For example, acknowledging a team member’s effort even when I don’t have to. Now, these kinds of habits do not appear on a quarterly performance report, but they have transformed my leadership, my focus, and my team. What about you? What daily habits have you adopted or will be adopting going forward to transform your leadership?
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In my early years, I believed that to be a great leader, I had to be the hardest worker in the room, the first one to sign on and the last one to leave. I wore my “always-on” status like armour, but it was actually a weight. By prioritising late-night emails over rest, I was inadvertently eroding my own capacity for empathy and strategic thinking. I was leading, but I was hollow.
The turning point came when I stopped letting the world dictate my first waking moments. I traded morning anxiety for five minutes of quiet reflection. This simple habit of starting the day grounded has redefined my leadership style. It has taught me that when I am at peace with myself, I am far more capable of navigating the pressures of the day with a calm, decisive presence. Another secret daily habit I began was consciously choosing kindness. For example, acknowledging a team member’s effort even when I don’t have to. Now, these kinds of habits do not appear on a quarterly performance report, but they have transformed my leadership, my focus, and my team. What about you? What daily habits have you adopted or will be adopting going forward to transform your leadership? -
The daily habit I have adopted is prioritising my time for meditation and prayers before work. I’ve realised this isn’t a nice-to-have. It grounds me and helps me to choose peace, consciously and intentionally this will be tested at work. I must do the background work of being grounded first before getting into the work zone. My ruffled feathers do not serve me or anyone else.
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My daily habit is to take needed breaks to breathe between tasks and just recalibrate. This helps me to avoid panicking or stressing out. I sometimes take a walk or engage in a conversation to get my mind recharged. Appreciating colleagues and team members efforts along the way as opposed to waiting for performance check ins is also a game changer, that one compliment or recognition could ignite stellar performance. Thank you so much for sharing this 🙏
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I give rest, sleep and nutrition utmost priority. I have come to realise that these have a significant impact on how I show up in spaces and how I engage. Me and my colleagues deserve the best version of me- and that version is well rested and well nourished, this ofcourse means saying no to things when I don’t have the bandwidth, prioiritising what’s essential and critical, delegating workload as and when needed.
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