Putting People First Includes You

You cannot look after your team if you completely neglect yourself in the process. I know that now.

During the Melbourne lockdowns, I threw everything into making sure our people were supported. I was glued to my desk for ten hours every day, barely clocking 100 steps. I lived in our Microsoft Teams channel, a space we called The Hokey Pokey room, where people could chat, connect and simply spend time together.

I was focused on keeping everyone connected. What I was not doing was paying enough attention to myself. At the time, the priority felt obvious: look after the team. Looking back, I can see that I had left someone out of that thinking. Me.

Connection was already part of our culture

We had operated as a remote team since 1996, across a massive geographic area. So staying connected was already in our DNA.

We had genuine ways to recognise each other, legendary celebrations and an authentic culture-first approach. People consistently went above and beyond for each other and our clients.

That gave us a strong foundation during lockdown. We were not trying to create a sense of connection from scratch. We already had ways of showing people that they mattered. The Hokey Pokey room gave people a place to spend time together, even when they could not physically be together. And I put an enormous amount of energy into being there.

The team came through it intact. I did not.

The toll was more than physical

The physical toll was obvious. Extra kilograms were creeping on. I was barely moving. Ten hours at a desk and barely 100 steps did not leave much room for looking after my body.

But the mental toll was worse. Constant doomscrolling led to genuine panic, to the point where leaving the front door felt daunting. That is not an easy thing to admit. Especially when you are the person focused on helping everyone else feel supported.

But being committed to your team does not make you immune to what is happening around you. Being a leader does not mean your own needs disappear. I was putting so much attention into other people that I was not properly responding to what was happening to me.

I needed support too

It took reaching out to a psychologist and a coach to regain perspective and find practical strategies to work through it. I needed help. Not another reason to push through. Not another reminder that people were relying on me. Help.

Looking back, I realised a hard truth that many leaders miss, including me: Putting people first includes the person leading them.

If you believe people deserve care, support and understanding, that belief has to apply to you as well. It cannot stop at the edge of your own desk.

Being available is not the only way to care

When your team is going through something difficult, being available can feel like the most useful thing you can do. You want people to know they can reach you. You want to notice when someone is struggling. You want to make sure nobody feels alone. Those intentions matter.

But it is worth paying attention to what that availability is costing you. Are you spending the whole day at your desk? Are you making room to move, rest and disconnect? Are you checking how you feel, or only how everyone else feels?

Supporting people cannot mean that your own wellbeing is always the thing that gets postponed. There needs to be room for you to be a human being, not just the person holding everything together.

Your wellbeing is part of the leadership picture

When leadership burns out, clarity can fade. Accountability can slip. Sustainable growth can suffer.

That does not mean you should only look after yourself because it benefits the business. You matter in your own right. But it does mean your wellbeing is not separate from your ability to lead.

If you want to build a business that can operate sustainably, you need to look honestly at the expectations you are placing on yourself. Are they expectations you would place on someone else in your team? Would you tell another person to spend ten hours at their desk, barely move and keep going while their anxiety became worse? If not, why is it acceptable for you?

Culture is what people experience

As an EOS Implementer, I have the luxury of deciding who I work with. The people I genuinely love working with are those who build their businesses with a culture-first approach. I light up when there is that shared belief in putting people at the heart of the business.

But culture is never just a sign on the wall. It is how you treat people every day. It is what happens when someone needs support. It is whether the belief in looking after people holds up when things become difficult. And it includes how you treat yourself.

Check in with the person leading the team

So, while you are checking in on everyone else, take a moment to check in on yourself. How are you actually doing? Not how well are you keeping up with the work. Not whether everyone else is okay. How are you?

Do you need to step away from the desk? Do you need to change what you are consuming online? Do you need a conversation with someone who can help you regain perspective?

You do not have to wait until leaving the front door feels daunting. Your people matter. And you are one of them.