Andy Brown explores ways to achieve business success without sacrificing mental and physical health
In FMCG, the pressure on CEOs to deliver results is relentless, and it’s easy for leaders to find themselves running up what I call an “emotional overdraft.” This term describes the toll on leaders when they subsidise their business success at the cost of their own physical or mental wellbeing. Every single leader I spoke to while researching my book was, to some extent, compromising their well-being for their business. This leads to stress, overwhelm, and burnout – a crisis for business leaders everywhere.
Here are some harmful myths about leadership that might be pushing you into your emotional overdraft, and then five actions you can take to do something about it:
Myth #1: If Your P&L is Healthy, Your Business is Doing Well
The currency of an emotional overdraft is resilience. The longer and deeper you are overdrawn, the less resilient you become. Imagine if it were possible to put a number on the personal price you paid when you took on extra work, failed to delegate, skipped dinners with friends, or missed family events. Would your company still be in profit, or would you be staring at a big, fat loss? Assess the hidden costs of your emotional overdraft to truly understand the health of your business.
In the FMCG sector, where margins are often thin and competition fierce, leaders are under immense pressure to keep costs low and efficiency high. A 2023 report from Deloitte highlighted that 72 percent of FMCG CEOs consider cost management a top priority, often leading them to take on additional tasks themselves, or asking more of their teams to save on hiring costs. This can significantly contribute to an expanding emotional overdraft, reducing resilience and overall effectiveness.
Myth #2: running a business is inherently stressful – it’s supposed to feel hard
A particularly harmful myth is the belief that leaders must always be struggling. Yet, I know business leaders who aren’t constantly in an emotionally overdrawn state. They sleep well and are highly successful. According to productivity expert Graham Allcott, when you can’t get everything done (which you never can), you have three options:
- Worry and stress yourself out.
- Identify a ‘route through’ and work steadily, knowing you’re moving as productively as you can.
- Get some help – hire someone, call in favours, delegate.
Understanding that stress isn’t a requirement for success is crucial.
Myth #3: to be successful, leaders must do everything themselves
In FMCG, where the pace of innovation is rapid and the need for quick decision-making is critical, leaders often feel they must handle everything themselves to maintain control. A study by McKinsey found that 60 percent of FMCG CEOs reported feeling overwhelmed by the speed of change in their industry, further exacerbating their emotional overdraft.
Leadership is a team sport. Believing you can act as an island leads to constant emotional overdraft and burnout. If you score highly on drivers such as Trust (not trusting others) or JFDI (just flipping do it), you’ll find yourself heavily in your emotional overdraft. Recognise where you’re trying to do everything and employ brilliant people, giving them full autonomy. Build a personal board of trusted individuals and give people in your business permission to hold you accountable when you slip into ‘doing it alone’ behaviours.
Myth #4: show no weakness – always be positive and upbeat
Leading from a place of no weakness is unhealthy. Leaders set the culture for their teams, and it’s important to model that failure is acceptable. After all, you could argue that if you’re not failing, you’re not pushing hard enough. The best leaders are not afraid to be vulnerable. Leaders who create space for mistakes and errors build psychologically safe work environments where people feel welcome to be themselves, take creative risks, and make valuable contributions. Embracing vulnerability leads to better business outcomes.
Myth #5: you must be empathetic to be a good leader
While empathy is important, it shouldn’t come at your own expense. When empathy springs from a need to be liked or belong, it can hinder your effectiveness. For example, working late to show that “you’re in the trenches too” isn’t helpful; your team may want to go home but don’t because you’re still there. People need direction. Your primary responsibility is to set clear goals and lead your team towards them.
How to reduce your emotional overdraft
If you’ve ever found yourself consistently working late, anxious, picking up tasks not meant for you, deprioritising your wellness, or missing out on social occasions, you’ve likely been dipping into your emotional overdraft. While it’s normal to occasionally dip into this facility, being permanently overdrawn reduces resilience and leads to stress, overwhelm or burnout. Here are five strategies to reduce your emotional overdraft:
- Build awareness of your triggers: understanding your emotional overdraft helps you acknowledge your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, leading to better choices and a healthier work/life balance. Identify your key drivers and the situations they tend to crop up. Awareness allows you to plan and mitigate times when you’re likely to dip into your emotional overdraft.
- Be empathetic, but not at all costs: Empathy is essential, but it should not come at the cost of your own well-being. Misapplying empathy can stop you from being an effective leader. Instead, focus on providing direction and clarity, helping your team navigate towards their goals.
- Reject the idea that running a business is inherently stressful: Successful business leaders are not always struggling. When you can’t get everything done, consider Allcott’s three options: don’t stress, identify a productive route, or get help. Delegate tasks and call in favours to lighten the load.
- Try the ’20 percent of your time’ exercise: Evaluate how you spend your time:
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- 20 percent on work only you can do
- 20 percent on skilled tasks others could do with experience
- 20 percent on complex but non-specialist work
- 20 percent on tasks requiring some ability but manageable by others
- 20 percent on tasks anyone could do
Ditch the final 20 percent of tasks and double your time spent on work that only you can do.
- Be vulnerable and authentic: Vulnerable leaders create safe environments, encouraging authenticity and trust. Brené Brown’s work on vulnerability shows the importance of being seen, even when it feels tough. Recognise when you’re in constant duty mode and prioritise your life. If you don’t, someone else will.
CEOs can achieve business success without sacrificing their mental and physical health, or that of the family. By understanding and managing your emotional overdraft, delegating more effectively, and embracing vulnerability, you can maintain resilience and lead your business to sustainable success. Remember, the journey to a healthier work/personal-life balance begins with awareness and small, intentional changes.
Andy Brown’s book, The Emotional Overdraft: 10 Simple Changes for Balancing Business Success and Wellbeing, is available on Amazon. Follow Andy on LinkedIn for more insights on leadership and well-being.
