Many of the leaders we work with share a quiet, common experience: they are giving a great deal — to their teams, their organizations, their communities — while receiving very little that actually restores them.

I’m always aware that the community around my work is beautifully diverse. Some of you are here because of my executive coaching and organizational development work. Others are drawn to my interfaith ministry. And many of you are curious about how these worlds intersect.

This recent sermon lives right at that intersection.

We’ve been taught to respond to stress, overwhelm, and change with a familiar prescription: self-care.

Take a break. Get more rest. Set better boundaries.

And while these matter, they often don’t go far enough.

Over the past two weeks, I led a day retreat of A Fuller Cup™ and co-led a virtual weekend of Seasons of Need™. In both spaces, something meaningful happened: people slowed down enough to reconnect with their true nature.

They had the opportunity to be seen, heard, and reflect on how to get their needs more fully met — while also exploring how we build more sustainable communities of care.

These are outcomes that matter deeply in today’s demanding and uncertain world.

We live in a time of constant demand.

Deadlines. Decisions. Divisiveness.
Caregiving. Change. Complexity.

Many of the leaders and caregivers I work with are deeply committed people. They show up. They serve. They hold space. They carry responsibility — often quietly.

And yet, when it comes to themselves, self-care can feel indulgent. Optional. Even selfish.

But here’s the truth:

Self-care is not a withdrawal from responsibility.
It is what makes responsible leadership sustainable.

Many leaders are exhausted—not because they lack commitment or competence, but because they’ve been carrying more than ever, for too long.

Burnout, in this context, isn’t a failure.
It’s information.

It tells us something about both the self and the systems we’re operating within.

Many leaders in caring professions — coaches, therapists, ministers, doctors, nurses — approach self-care the same way they approach their work: with commitment, discipline, and a desire to do it well.

But when we bring our high-achieving, goal-oriented selves into self-care, it can quietly defeat the very purpose.

True self-care isn’t something to conquer.
It’s something that nourishes.

It’s about identifying the practices you look forward to, return to again and again, and rely on to sustain your energy, clarity, and capacity to serve.

If you are someone who leads and serves with heart, you are likely carrying more than most people realize.

Ambitious, values-driven leaders often neglect their own care—not because they don’t know better, but because the needs around them feel urgent and unrelenting. Over time, this takes a toll.

I am declaring this year to be one of Collective Care. The pace of change, the challenge of complexity and uncertainty, the poly crisis before us… you name your stressor. They are taking their toll on our individual and collective well-being. We all have enough to consider, on top of our jobs, to have us feeling depleted, or on the verge of burnout – even in the context of a new year beginning.

It’s been a while since I communicated, as I have been full in so many ways! I am still ensconced in my leadership and organization development work – and I graduated from seminary in June as an Interfaith/Interspiritual Minister. This just adds to my eclectic background and ways I can be present and of service to a world transforming.

What is your Personal Vision?

Do you have one? If so, is it clear, still relevant, and compelling?

Ideally, you want your goals to align with your vision. This is how you sustain energy and commitment to achieving your goals. It puts all your goals in context of why you are doing what you are doing—what is the bigger picture for you.

We work with senior leadership teams a lot, and sometimes, they are hesitant to bring in an outside consultant to support them in reaching their next level of effectiveness. The thinking is, we are smart, ambitious, successful people, so why can’t we do it ourselves? Sometimes, you can.

Right after I finished filming today’s Sage Tidbit video, I received an email from a colleague: “I just wanted to check in to see if we needed to clean up from the way we left things.” I so appreciated this reach out—that they did it and the way in which they did it. I interpreted this as their being sensitive to the possibility that their words or tone may not have landed with me in the way intended.

Words, Thoughts and Feelings Matter.

Today, I’m sharing a story about one of my clients, Mark (name changed), and how he was able to honor his late father's advice while he was meeting some leadership challenges in terms of how he developed the leaders who reported to him. In Mark’s story, he was protecting a leader who he perceived to be weak, but in doing so, he was allowing harm to come to other employees. Sometimes we can do harm by not doing anything.

Here, in the United States, many of us are digesting the results of the Presidential Election. Some people are celebrating and excited about the future and some are scared or terrified about the future. Regardless of where you are, it is important, now more than ever, to build bridges and seek to understand the other person’s point of view.

All results start with a thought. It’s important periodically to take inventory on WHAT you are thinking and HOW you are thinking about what you are thinking, since your thoughts directly impact your behavior and results.

Once you have clarified your goal and really believe it is possible, and see yourself achieving it, AND take consistent action aligned with your goal, THEN it’s about making sure you measure what will give you the information you need that helps you know you are making the progress you need to in order to achieve your goal.

Last week, I talked about belief and the power of the mind and what’s possible. You can think and believe all you want but if you don’t have accompanying action, not a lot is going to happen. So, it’s not ALL about JUST believing. It’s most important to engage in action that is aligned with what you believe.

When we are in a state of "anything is possible," we are uplifted, optimistic, we can "rise above it all" and BELIEVE. THAT is the key. BELIEF.

How can you Power-On your belief that It (insert your aspiration here) – or anything - is Possible?

Leading with Head and Heart

That is what it means to be an integrated leader – one who embodies being connected to themselves and others, and who can also rigorously think through complex problems. Easier said than done!

What does this REALLY require?