Hey gang,
I’ve been ill this week.
And just to be clear, I’m not dramatic at all about being ill… but this might be the worst I’ve ever felt.
Earlier in the week, I messaged Rach saying, “I can’t remember when I felt this bad, I just feel terrible.”
Which, for me, is a pretty clear signal.
So I listened.
I cleared my diary on Tuesday and rested as much as I could. I had a session planned for Wednesday, and initially thought I might be able to get through it.
But by Tuesday evening, it was obvious I wasn’t well enough.
So I made the call to cancel.
Not just because I needed to rest, but because I knew that cohort wouldn’t get the best version of me.
And that matters.
I had to properly stop.
And from my sick bed, it got me thinking about leadership.
Because how we look after ourselves isn’t separate from how we lead.
It sets the temperature of the team.
Not in a big, obvious way.
In the small signals.
What we prioritise.
What we ignore.
What we push through.
What we give ourselves permission to do.
If you’re always on, your team feels that.
If you never stop, they notice.
If you push through illness or low energy, they take their cue from that.
Not because you’ve told them to.
Because you’ve shown them what’s expected.
That’s how permission gets created.
Or not.
From my sick bed this week, the lesson felt pretty clear:
You don’t build a healthy, high-performing team by pushing yourself to the limit.
You build it by showing people what good looks like.
Adjusting your diary when you need to.
Being honest about your capacity.
Making the call when you’re not able to deliver at your best.
Prioritising what actually matters.
Stopping when stopping is the right thing to do.
That is leadership.
Not just delivering at all costs.
But creating an environment where people can perform sustainably, not just temporarily.
So a simple question to leave you with:
What are you modelling to your team right now?
And are you creating a culture where people feel they have permission to stop when they need to, or one where they feel they can’t?
I’m off to take it easy this weekend to hopefully fully shake this thing.
Have a great one!
Cate x
Hey gang,
I’ve been ill this week.
And just to be clear, I’m not dramatic at all about being ill… but this might be the worst I’ve ever felt.
Earlier in the week, I messaged Rach saying, “I can’t remember when I felt this bad, I just feel terrible.”
Which, for me, is a pretty clear signal.
So I listened.
I cleared my diary on Tuesday and rested as much as I could. I had a session planned for Wednesday, and initially thought I might be able to get through it.
But by Tuesday evening, it was obvious I wasn’t well enough.
So I made the call to cancel.
Not just because I needed to rest, but because I knew that cohort wouldn’t get the best version of me.
And that matters.
I had to properly stop.
And from my sick bed, it got me thinking about leadership.
Because how we look after ourselves isn’t separate from how we lead.
It sets the temperature of the team.
Not in a big, obvious way.
In the small signals.
What we prioritise.
What we ignore.
What we push through.
What we give ourselves permission to do.
If you’re always on, your team feels that.
If you never stop, they notice.
If you push through illness or low energy, they take their cue from that.
Not because you’ve told them to.
Because you’ve shown them what’s expected.
That’s how permission gets created.
Or not.
From my sick bed this week, the lesson felt pretty clear:
You don’t build a healthy, high-performing team by pushing yourself to the limit.
You build it by showing people what good looks like.
Adjusting your diary when you need to.
Being honest about your capacity.
Making the call when you’re not able to deliver at your best.
Prioritising what actually matters.
Stopping when stopping is the right thing to do.
That is leadership.
Not just delivering at all costs.
But creating an environment where people can perform sustainably, not just temporarily.
So a simple question to leave you with:
What are you modelling to your team right now?
And are you creating a culture where people feel they have permission to stop when they need to, or one where they feel they can’t?
I’m off to take it easy this weekend to hopefully fully shake this thing.
Have a great one!
Cate x
