How sustainable are you?
📸 by Jen Theodore on Unsplash
I'm not talking about your business - YOU! - the finite resource of a founder.
As purpose-driven founders, we're experts at thinking about sustainability. We consider the environmental impact of our supply chains, the social impact of our hiring practices, and the long-term viability of our business models.
Yet there's one critical resource we often overlook in our sustainability planning: ourselves!
As we approach the end of a busy year, with what can be the busiest month of them all. I find myself returning to thinking about this resource in my own business. But I also notice I’m hearing similar stories from many worn out purpose driven founders - so many conversations start with them sharing how busy they are right now and often followed up with thinking that looks like, ‘I just need to make it to Christmas’...
The Forgotten Resource
When was the last time you conducted a sustainability audit on your most vital business asset - you? While we carefully monitor our carbon footprint or social impact metrics, we rarely apply the same rigorous thinking to our own wellbeing and sustainability as leaders.
The irony is stark: we build regenerative business models while operating on a depleting personal model.
The Real Cost of Unsustainable Leadership
Unsustainable founder practices don't just affect individual wellbeing - they directly impact business success:
Depleted decision-making capacity leads to poorer strategic choices
Reduced creativity limits innovation and problem-solving
Burnout affects team morale and company culture
Physical and mental exhaustion compromise stakeholder relationships
Chronic stress impairs our ability to focus on long-term impact
Building Your Regenerative Leadership Model
A truly sustainable business requires a regenerative approach to leadership.
This means creating systems and practices that build you up rather than wear you down. Here's how to start:
1. Audit Your Energy Sources
Track what energises and depletes you. Which activities fill your tank? Which drain it? Use this data to structure your week more sustainably.
2. Design for Renewal
Just as sustainable businesses create positive feedback loops, build renewal into your daily operations. This might mean scheduling break time, or regenerative time, time for exercise, time with friends and family, time for fun and playfulness or building in regular reflection practices.
3. Measure What Matters
Beyond business metrics, track indicators of sustainable leadership: sleep quality, stress levels, time for strategic thinking, and connection with your mission. These are leading indicators of your ability to create lasting impact.
The Regenerative Mindset Shift
The key mindset shift is viewing personal sustainability not as self-indulgence, but as a critical business investment. Every hour spent on regenerative practices - whether that's exercise, reflection, or learning - is an investment in your business's most important resource.
Taking Action
Start by asking yourself these questions:
Is my current way of working building me up or wearing me down?
What would a truly regenerative business model look like - one that sustains both my mission and me?
How can I redesign my role to create more energy than it consumes?
Remember: A sustainable business requires a sustainable founder.
Your wellbeing isn't separate from your business's impact - it's essential to it. So as we approach a traditional time of new beginnings with the start of a new year in a few weeks I’ve been planting a seed for you to ponder…
The most powerful thing you can do for your mission is to ensure you can keep showing up for it, energised and effective, for the long term.