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Wellbeing and professional development
Leadership is a unique and ever evolving journey. It requires you to draw on a range of different skills, abilities and strengths. Leaders may find themselves needing to adapt approaches to different contexts, people, organisations and the challenges and opportunities in front of them.
Working in a leadership role can be incredibly rewarding. But it can also be tough and feel lonely at times, especially if your role involves working to tackle inequalities and drive meaningful change.
Whether you’re a new or accomplished leader, prioritising your wellbeing and making the most of professional development opportunities can help you to thrive. It also sets a positive example and can help create the culture and conditions for others to confidently follow.
Looking after your wellbeing
The sport and physical activity sector play a vital role in improving and maintaining people’s health and wellbeing. Sector leaders are often well versed in articulating the importance of wellbeing to others. Looking after their own wellbeing is just as important but can be easy to overlook.
'Health relates to a person’s physical and mental condition. Wellbeing is the subjective state of being healthy, happy, contented, comfortable and satisfied with one’s quality of life.’
Workplace health: Management practices, NICE Guidance, 2016
Wellbeing is a broad, subjective term. In its simplest form, it’s about how we’re doing and feeling. Every leader will have their own views on what wellbeing means and importantly what it feels like to them.
It’s important to remember that you can’t pour from an empty cup. The first step might be to take a moment to check how you are feeling and make time for self-reflection.
‘…you cannot hope to effectively lead others to sustained success if you’re neglecting the needs of your own wellbeing… Your mindset and your habits have an immediate impact, not only on your own wellbeing but on that of people around you.’
The Promise of Giants, John Amaechi OBE
Prioritising professional development
Together, we have a vital role to play in ensuring everyone can experience the benefits of sport and physical activity. To achieve this, sector leaders need the skills, confidence and support to thrive in their role. The skills needed will vary depending on the type of role and the work required. But it’s important to get the fundamentals right.
Reflecting on your needs and prioritising your professional development, and encouraging your team to do the same, is really important. With tight budgets and busy schedules this can feel challenging but the benefits to wellbeing, performance, job satisfaction, team and individual growth can be significant.
Coming soon
We’re busy continuing to develop this section, with existing leaders and specialists, to help you wherever you are in your leadership journey. Once complete, it’ll:
- Explore the importance and benefits of prioritising wellbeing and professional development.
- Share some key considerations and tips to help leaders to do this.
- Identify who and what’s available to help support leaders’ professional development.
- Signpost leaders to where they can go for further information and support.
We’ll continue to develop this section over time and use it to share the stories of leaders and organisations that have prioritised wellbeing and professional development. If you’d like to be part of its development, have some good resources to share, or have a story to tell, we’d love to hear from you - leadingthemovement@sportengland.org.
Further resources
If you’re a leader working to tackle inequalities in sport and physical activity, we’re here to help support your leadership journey. You can find out more here:
Place-based support Coaching and mentoring Leadership community Learning and resources
If you’d like to find out more about wellbeing and professional development, check out these resources.
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