Balance is the key to life and leadership. It is something that lingers quietly in the background of everything we do in our work, in our interests, and the everyday comings and goings of life. It can seem unimportant and is something that can go by hardly noticed; it can be underappreciated, undervalued, and, ultimately ignored. At least, that is, until balance is no longer in place. When it is no longer there, then we realise its importance.

But why wait until things have gone wrong to attempt to right them? Is there something that can be done, a daily habit that can be formed, a practise that can be undertaken, to ensure balance remains part of our everyday lives, our work, our interests, and our leadership? 

I believe, yes. 

However, I believe that those behaviours and habits are personal and unique to each individual. If we find interests that empower us they can help bring energy and focus to our work and leadership and building these practises can keep us grounded when things start to feel fragmented. In this month’s blog, I will discuss this idea that balance is personal, why I believe that work and interests are not separate but are intertwined parts of our everyday life, share leadership insights about balancing busyness, and what is keeping me grounded. 

Balance Is Personal

I do not believe that balance simply enters our lives or exists, easily and out of nowhere; it can take a concerted effort to create the kind of harmony in life and leadership that results in feelings of energy, focus, contentment, and calm, and that process can take a long time. So often, I have to make a focused effort to nourish those things that bring balance into my life when things begin to feel out of sorts or off kilter. 

Currently, my work is pulling me in numerous directions, mentally and creatively, and although I thoroughly enjoy it all and find a great deal of meaning through my work, I am constantly reminding myself that I need to also do things that fulfill my sense of curiosity and adventure. That being said, each one of my current branches of work is bringing something highly valuable into my life:

• My podcast Leaders in Conversation with Anni Townend, a project about which I am so passionate, has provided the chance to converse with other leaders about authenticity, education, being good enough, finding adventure, and embracing fear and spontaneity 

• My intense preparation for this year’s d&i Leaders Global Forum where, on May 21st and May 22nd my dear friend, Lucy Kidd and I will be showcasing Collaboration Equation™️ is serving as an important reminder of what it means to show up for yourself and what you believe in 

• Enjoying a balance between executive team coaching and individual executive coaching each week, and having developed a rhythm of working with teams twice a week, with individual clients twice a week, and recording my podcast on the other days 

• Co-hosting the Marketing Leaders Programme Module 2: Engage, which took place on April 18th and April 19th, provided an opportunity to collaborate with amazing speakers and future leaders to share stories about successes, challenges, building and nurturing relationships, and engaging with one another in a purposeful way

Work and Life Aren’t Separate

In conversations surrounding the need or desire to find balance, a common narrative often revolves around striking a balance between work and everything outside of work: the phrase regularly used being ‘work-life balance’. Yet, this is quite different from the approach I have taken and the way in which I choose to see them as co-existing as an integral part of how I live.

The phrase ‘work-life balance’ is one that I am usually loathe to use; however, I appreciate that this is a commonly used saying and informs how other people approach creating balance in their lives and their leadership. The key reason I, personally, prefer not to use that wording, is that I view my work as an integral part of my overall life, not something that is separate from or parallel to it; my work and interests are wholly intertwined, working together, one supporting the other. Through this mindset, I find that I can stay equally passionate and engaged in both my work and interests. When I become fatigued or pressured by one, I find respite in the other, using that passion to create a renewed energy for and focus on both, helping to create balance amongst the busyness.

Balancing Busyness

Throughout this Spring, I am making time for life writing and photography. By consciously dedicating time to them, I find that I have an increased mental capacity to do my work with more energy and focus, creating a comfortable cycle of balance, and the benefits of doing so have become clear in my work, my art, and my conversations. Recently, there have been three conversations that heightened my awareness of this. 

The first came through my conversation with my podcast guest, Helen Stephenson CBE, CEO at The Charity Commission for England and Wales, wherein she speaks candidly about leadership, sometimes being a lonely and isolating experience. She emphasises the need to balance those negative feelings with being kind to yourself, accepting that ‘being good is good enough’, and surrounding yourself with trusted people whose opinions and perspectives are different from your own.

The next came from my second podcast guest of this month, the award-winning marketer, Karen Wilkinson, who spoke with me and my listeners about the power of being brave, spontaneous, and adventurous and how she always pushes herself, both personally and professionally, to say yes to things that are different, unknown to her, and that come with a sense of fear. Our conversation was refreshing and reinvigorated my own, personal sense of adventure, something that readers of my blog will know that I have been focusing on making part of my daily life this year.

Finally, the third instance came from being a podcast guest, rather than the host. I was invited by the fantastic Margaret Soraya to speak with her on her Creative Soundscapes podcast, in which I was offered the opportunity to share my belief in the importance and benefits of finding an outdoor activity that resonates with each of us, particularly walking in nature. I encourage listeners to find the spaces and crevices in their busy lives in which they can take time to pause.

Being Balanced, Staying Grounded

It is normal for people’s lives to become busy and imbalanced, and I believe that it is something that everyone experiences. Yet, it seems that so many people believe that they are doing something wrong, that they should be doing better, or that they have somehow failed if their life, work, and interests are not co-existing in perfect harmony. The pressure that life creates can cause feelings of being overwhelmed, stressed, fatigued, and fragmented. It is imperative that we each find the things that help restore balance and calm, and keep us grounded and present. I believe that sharing with others the things that keep us grounded has the potential to give someone else a method for bringing balance into their own life, so I want to share three of the things that are currently helping me stay both grounded and balanced:

• Photography

• Life writing

• Particularly, Cathy Rentzenbrink’s Sunday Session, which takes place the first Sunday of every month, is a writing workshop that helps me shape and expand my writing; it is something that I look forward to every month https://cathyreadsbooks.com/sunday-sessions/

• Walking in nature

• Taking time everyday to walk in nature, even if it is only for 20 minutes, helps me clear my head, create space to think and reflect, and refocus my energy on what is important to me

• Toward the end of June, I will be sharing my love of walking in nature and talking with others through a Walking Partnerships event; you are invited to join and can follow the link here for more details and booking information

My writing and my photography allow me to take stock of my surroundings, see them in a fresh and interesting light, and push through periods that might otherwise lack creativity. I find that the landscapes that I see and walk in regularly, the people with whom I share space and discussions, and the work that I do provide me with that ability to be creative and feel creatively inspired.

Find What Works for You

As previously mentioned, I believe that balance looks and feels different for every individual person; people have their own lives, interests, schedules, wants, and needs so how these things fall into a balanced state of being are unique to each person’s individual set of circumstances - the balance equation is as individual as the person or leader who is trying to achieve it. It is crucial to find what works for you.