Having your own personal North Star to guide your life doesn't always translate easily to leading an organization in a mission-driven way. Bridging that gap
in a way that is sustainable and supporting stakeholders’ needs and your team's investment is critical to success, Bard College's graduate program for
mission-driven sustainability leaders reminds us.

For the many leaders who struggle to lead inspirationally, the search for a resonant message can produce stress. In rough patches and during smooth sailing, different challenges appear that lead to stress and provide catalysts for personal growth as a leader of a mission-driven business. But wait — who has the time for personal growth?

Mindfulness: a Way to Ground Yourself, Even with a Lofty Purpose

Mindfulness isn't just for meditation. In fact, meditating can help you learn to focus on the here and now, which researchers know is so important for avoiding burnout. When your mind is on the past or the future, well...have you ever blown through a red light because you're thinking about something that happened or something worrisome in the future?

Is Your Mission Demanding Too Much of You?

Creating a mission statement for your business usually goes one of two ways:

Energy: everyone's caught up in the passion, and it's an easy call until things get real.
Uncertainty: you know you have a mission, but it's still getting into focus. You're afraid if you name it wrong you'll never succeed.

Remember, your mission is your guidance, and it's something you create — it's yours, and your team's, and you can recreate it over and over if necessary, notes Stanford Graduate School of Business, to stay inspired and on target. You might broaden your mission, or find that focusing on it is more practical. It's all up to you, and your realistic approach will gain more support than any lofty goals without solid roots will.

Even Doing One Good Thing Each Day is Wonderful

If you keep focused by correcting what you perceive as your errors, MIT's Sloan School of Management found, a downward spiral of stress and distracted attention awaits — but you can talk back to your inner critic. Your mission lies in your successes and using each step forward as an inspiration. Sure, “lessons learned” are sometimes useful as course corrections, but that North Star of yours gets brighter when you recognize ways that you're getting closer to it, however far away it may seem. After all, if you just have a goal that you know you can achieve, you're missing some great opportunities to do the amazing! Your successes help you see that distant horizon as possible.

Stress Can Literally Blind You

When stress gets you down, in the worst-case physical effects can literally blind you. It's only in a moment of clarity that you have a chance to see the signs of stress. Those moments don't come very often when you're over 100 percent of your capacity. You're in survival mode, and it's quite normal to burn out before you become aware. When signs of stress lead you to more worry and doubt, longer hours, unhealthy eating habits, and caffeine and other substance use, you're taking it the hard way. Whether you get back on track or start over, just forgive yourself and be glad you're aware, resisting the temptation to repeat your stressors the next time around. Try something new, get some help. You’re only human, after all.

When You're Not Yourself, Think of Maslow

Maslow's pyramid is a psychological framework for understanding our needs as personal development proceeds. A UPenn Organizational Dynamics Program participant pointed out that this hierarchy explains why sometimes we provide inspired leadership, while other times our needs are more basic and immediate. Knowing that we think and cope differently in survival mode can help maintain a healthy perspective.

When You Veer Off Your Path, a Crash Is Not Inevitable

Steering into the skid is wise advice for drivers, especially where snow and ice keeps your daily missions to work and shopping potentially catastrophic. You learn to deal with the danger, respond skillfully, and keep on track from day to day. The same goes for leading your organization, where unanticipated challenges can feel like you're skidding out of control. They're only disasters when you actually hit the ditch, and even then, phoenix-like, you can rise, handle your injuries, and get back into the game of taking on your mission.

Imperfection is Inspiring!

If you have a tendency towards perfectionism, observes the American Management Association, you may have a feeling that you're failing your team and your mission when you need to take time to heal or recover. That couldn't be further from the truth! Even in our modern age of endless critical eyes on leadership, being human inspires those you're leading, and being perfect alienates them. Knowing how to handle the rough patches in life builds confidence in your leadership vision and abilities.

“Eustress” and Your Hands-On Business Education

Stress itself can be productive and positive, much as workouts build your athletic capabilities. The term “eustress,” where the prefix “eu” indicates a positive effect, is what The American Institute of Stress calls the challenges in our lives that make us better at achieving our goals and living fully.

Every Leader Has Trusted Advisors: Getting Sustaining Help to Thrive

Mission-driven leadership pushes you to grow, whether by gaining resilience strategies or doing a “trust fall” into the hands of trusted advisors and support providers, so you can renew yourself and inspire your team to do the same. Wise leaders, says CIO.com, get to know their resources, and realize at some point, they'll need to make that call. Mental health for mission-driven leaders, and their dedicated organizations, is about being human, and humble when you need to be. It's an integral part of every mission.

Resources:

Developing Personal Leadership Skills to Drive Sustainability

A Mindfulness Course Decreases Burnout and Improves Well-Being Among Healthcare Providers

How to Pressure Test Your Strategic Vision

Ideas Made-to-Matter: How Leaders Can Manage Their Own Inner Critic

Mental Stress as Cause and Consequence of Vision Loss

Alcohol Rehab

An Adaption of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs for the Workplace: a Starting Guide for Our New Leaders

The Car Skids, What Should You Do?

Perfectly Imperfect Leadership

The Good Stress: How Eustress Helps You Grow

Trusted Advisors: 8 Tips for Developing a Dependable Network