Whole Leaders Start with Whole Humans - May 8, 2025

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and next week is International Coaching Week (May 12–16)—both feel like timely invitations to pause and check in with yourself. How are you really doing? Are you feeling connected to yourself—or just pushing through the days?

I’m not talking about the version of you that’s performing or producing—I’m talking about the version of you that feels lit up from the inside out. When did you last feel connected to that person? Can you even remember?

For me, that reconnection happened unexpectedly while trying to surf for the first time in Baja. I’d gone down for a retreat feeling a little stuck and heavy, and I came home feeling lighter, more open, and more me than I had in a long time.

Surfing shook loose some limiting beliefs I didn’t even realize I was carrying. And no, it wasn’t about mastering the wave—not even close. It was about laughing, falling, getting back up, trying again, and letting myself be fully in the moment. It was about joy, movement, new friends, and that wide-open feeling of being surrounded by natural beauty.

When I look back now, I can see how that week touched nearly every one of my top values—joy, adventure, connection, nature, accomplishment, growth. I didn’t just feel “refreshed.” I felt nourished. Whole. And ready to return to my work with leaders and my home life in a much more grounded, energized way.

And here’s why I think this matters—especially for those of us in leadership roles.

When we’re connected to ourselves—mind, body, and heart—we lead from a place of authenticity and alignment. We make clearer decisions. We create space for others to show up more fully. We model what it looks like to live and lead from our values.

That kind of leadership isn’t just good for morale—it’s transformative.

What Would it Look Like for You to Take Care of Yourself?

I recently came across something that really made me pause. It was from an organization called Strong Women Strong Girls, and it said:

“In the English language, we only have one word for ‘selfish,’ and it carries a very negative connotation. But in Mandarin, there are two words. One means doing that which is wholesome to your well-being, and the other refers to being cruel or stingy. In English, we’ve blurred those meanings into one, leaving many of us believing that anything good for ourselves must come at the expense of others. Read more here

Isn’t that a powerful distinction?

No wonder so many of us feel conflicted when it comes to prioritizing our own well-being. But the truth is, honoring our needs and values isn’t selfish—it’s necessary. And it’s a foundational part of effective, sustainable leadership.

You can’t take care of anyone if you are depleted.

Author Elizabeth Gilbert puts it this way:

“When you fill up your own skin with yourself, that alone can become your offering—every person that you meet sees all that in you.”

That’s the kind of leadership I want to offer—and support. One where we’re not just effective, but whole.

A Gentle Invitation…

So let me ask you—when was the last time you truly felt like you?

What would it look like to reconnect with that version of yourself?

What would be possible if you gave yourself permission to explore that version of you again?

In my next blog, I’ll share a few practical ways to help you rediscover your core values and reconnect with your whole self. But for now, start small: do one thing today that brings you closer to that spark inside—the one that feels most like you.

Feel free to share with me here.