

Holistic Leadership: The Importance of Investing in Yourself and Others

Holistic leadership requires leaders to bring their whole selves to their role. It’s not just about their skills, processes, and approaches to their work, but also their character, values, and mindset. And, to take this idea a step further, effective holistic leaders are skilled in encouraging others to do the same.

To achieve this level of leadership often requires an investment: improving your skills, expanding your knowledge, and strengthening your weaknesses. This could mean taking a course, listening to a podcast, or joining a mastermind group, for example.

Investing in the people around you can also be considered an investment in yourself. Teams should always be greater than the sum of their parts. When you pour into your team and help them to grow, your image improves, too. People may respect you more. They’ll view you as a thinker and doer, not just a say-er. Those tangible results can lead to more effective leadership, where there are only winners.

Here’s what you can expect when you invest in yourself and those around you:

Broaden Your Perspective

Your perspective is your gateway to how you interpret experiences. Think of it as the difference between looking through a straw versus a telescope: when you can broaden your perspective, you develop new awareness. 

Having broader or different perspectives can lead to a number of advantages, from faster problem solving to a more thorough understanding of a challenge you’re facing. This can happen naturally over the course of your career, but proactively investing in yourself can help you learn more in a shorter period of time. 

Disassemble Old Habits

Part of being an effective leader means recognizing what could be making you ineffective. When you have old habits that are limiting your growth, it’s a struggle to focus on the most important commitments and priorities. 

Investing in personal development, your health, and your skills can help you find new or better ways to do things, and may help you break down old habits faster. It forces you to step outside your comfort zone and overcome the inertia that stops you from growing. When you can make yourself a more effective leader, you are better able to serve those around you.

Lead by Example

Holistic leadership takes into account a person’s own skills and outcomes, as well as those of the people around them. Organizations take notice of leaders who are investing in themselves. This is how self-improvement becomes a natural part of a company’s culture: it shows others that this is the way to improve. And when everyone can improve in tandem, big things are possible.

Remember, great leaders are made, not born. By continuing to invest in yourself, you’re supporting a growth mindset. The future isn’t written in stone, and your team deserves to see this so they, in turn, can learn to lead, too.

Are you empowering your employees to the best of their abilities? Download our free guide, 10 Questions To Ensure You’re Maximizing Your Talent.


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