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By Jill Hinrichs, PPC, Leadership and Team Development Coach, AllOne Health
Leadership today isn’t getting easier. You need more than good intentions to thrive. You need a systematic approach to building your capacity to handle whatever gets thrown your way.
Here’s what works, broken down into four dimensions.
1. Self-Awareness: Your Personal Operating Manual
You wouldn’t run a business without understanding your systems, so why are you running yourself without knowing how you operate? When do you do your best work? What situations restore versus deplete you? Most leaders know their team’s strengths inside and out, but draw a blank on their own energy patterns.
Reality check: Take five minutes each morning to notice what’s happening in your head and body without trying to fix anything. That voice running commentary? That’s your mind. The part that can step back and observe? That’s your Aware self—your secret weapon to self-awareness.
Make it Real: Write your personal “owner’s manual” this week. What energizes you? What drains you? Be brutally honest.
2. Bandwidth Awareness: Know Your Limits
You can’t manage what you don’t measure, including your capacity. Too many leaders run on empty, wondering why their decision-making gets sloppy.
Reality Check: If you’re consistently resentful at work, that’s data. Those feelings show where boundaries are violated, or needs aren’t met.
Stop softening your message because you’re worried about damaging relationships. Use “I” statements: “When [situation] happens, I feel [emotion]. My request is [action].”
Make it Real: Do weekly “resentment audits.” What three situations left you frustrated? What need was unmet? Then have the conversation you’ve been avoiding, using a well-crafted “I” statement.
3. Teamwork: Create the Environment People Want to Contribute To
Start interactions with genuine appreciation—specific recognition, not generic “great job everyone” stuff.
When tension shows up, ask directly: “What communication needs do you have right now?” Then listen without getting defensive. When you do get defensive (it’s normal), notice that part and ask it to step aside.
Here’s a tool called The Loop of Awareness for triggered moments:
- Pause judgments – Notice automatic thoughts, but don’t let them take over
- Focus on the speaker – Listen to words, watch body language, hear deeper meaning
- Check interpretation – Paraphrase back: “So what I’m hearing is…” Be open to correction
- Keep looping – Stay aware of your reactions and the speaker’s communication
Make it Real: Practice The Loop of Awareness tool in conversation: start with a specific appreciation, address one challenge directly, and collaborate plan for what’s next.
4. Contemplative Rejuvenation: Fill Your Tank
If you think you’re too busy for renewal practices, then you probably need them most. This isn’t about becoming a meditation guru; it’s about finding an authentic activity that recharges you at a deeper level of being.
Maybe it’s a morning walk in nature, journaling, or a creative hobby you abandoned as “unproductive.”
Reality Check: Leaders who take renewal seriously show up differently. Better decisions, more presence, handling pressure without losing center.
Make it Real: Pick one practice that appeals to you (not what you think you should do) and commit to ten minutes daily this week.
The Bottom Line
Building resilience is table stakes for effective leadership. Start with one dimension this week—not all four. Pick what resonates most, make one concrete change, and build from there.
Your team needs you at your best when times get tough. It’s up to you to make it real.
How AllOne Health Can Help
In addition to our EAPs, AllOne Health provides Organizational Consulting services to help workplace leaders navigate challenges and strengthen organizational health. To learn more, visit Organizational Consulting.
