Earlier this month the highest paying female athlete ever chose her health over her career.
I believe it was brave choice.
One that we need to see more often.
And quite honestly, one that we should probably make more often.
At 23 years old, Naomi Osaka is the second-ranked woman in tennis. She beat Serena Williams at the US Open in 2018 to booing crowds. Then, after a weeklong stand-off with tennis’ leaders over her refusal to participate in post-match news conferences, she withdrew from the French Open.
Her reason…
To protect her mental health and well-being. To “exercise self-care” as she put it in an Instagram post.
Ms. Osaka was quickly fined $15,000 by the French Open’s tournament referee and threatened with other penalties if she did not fulfill media obligations.
On Instagram, Ms. Osaka stated that she struggled with depression and anxiety. Challenges that she says steeply escalated after her contentious win in 2018 against Williams.
This is not the first time a professional athlete has spoken out about their mental health challenges.
Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps has spoken openly about his struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts. Gymnast Aly Raisman has been open about her ongoing struggle with post traumatic stress disorder. And, fellow pro tennis player, Mardy Fish, detailed his struggles with anxiety and walking away from playing against tennis great Roger Federer during the fourth round of the U.S. Open in 2012.
Since the French Open decision, Ms. Osaka has also withdrawn from Wimbledon. A statement released by her agent says: "Naomi won't be playing Wimbledon this year. She is taking some personal time with friends and family. She will be ready for the Olympics and is excited to play in front of her home fans."
35-year old tennis great Rafael Nadal has decided to also withdraw from Wimbledon. He has decided to bow out of this year’s Tokyo Olympics as well.
Swimmer Simone Manuel, who’s spot on the U.S. Olympic team seemed like a sure thing, recently revealed that she has been struggling with overtraining syndrome. This syndrome has drained her physically and mentally since early this year which resulted in her failing to qualify for the Tokyo 100 free.
These three athletes, and their recent stories, reminded me how important it is for us to lead ourselves– personally and professionally.
Because self-leadership is the foundation of effective leadership.
As the world opens up and we welcome some sense of normalcy back into our lives, navigating a post-pandemic world will continue to be incredibly stressful, and at times overwhelming.
I would even go as far to say that leading yourself and caring for your mental health is most critical at this very moment.
We owe it to ourselves and those we lead.
Inspired by Naomi Osaka, Rafael Nadal, Simone Manuel, and anyone who has spoken up for themselves, here are three things you can do to lead yourself, and those around you, today.
Give AND ask for help: At the height of the pandemic we encouraged managers, leaders, and colleagues to check in each other frequently. To ask HOW folks were doing and listen to their challenges. This is not the time to stop this practice! Keep it going. Even better, when you can, offer help without being asked.
On the flipside, YOU should ask for help when you need it. (If this made you wince, you need to keep reading!)
When we have the courage to ask for help we are modeling vulnerability. This gives others permission to do the same and we create teams and organizations that are based on trust, honesty, and compassion.
Osaka, Nadal, Manuel, and others, who have come forward about their personal challenges are models to other athletes, as well as each one of us, about the importance of asking for help when we need it. I applaud them for taking such personal and professional risks to bring these topics into the light.
When Nadal announced his decisions around Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics, he released a series of tweets explaining his decision. I think this one tweet is the most powerful….
The goal is to prolong my career and continue to do what makes me happy, that is to compete at the highest level and keep fighting for those professional and personal goals at (t)he maximum level of competition.
This is everyone’s goal. To show up at our best every day, do what we love, for as long as possible. Asking for help, which at times may be to take a step back and take a break, is an important piece of achieving our personal and professional goals.
“Flush” your mistakes: During a press conference Simone Manuel took solace in making it to the U.S. trials saying, “I know I did everything I possibly could do to even be here – that makes me proud.”
We all make mistakes or things don’t go as we would like…and we can still be proud that we tried.
Nothing is more destructive to our mental health and self-esteem as ruminating on the past. Especially in a time when so much is still out of our control and we’re really doing the best we can.
Jeff’s Chicago Cubs are not doing well so far this season. After a recent game where they lost to the Cleveland Indians, 4-0, an announcer said, “Well, all you can say about this game is flush it.” Meaning, that they need to just forget about what just happened and move on.
You will make mistakes. “Flush it,” move on, and try again tomorrow.
Question your culture: Notice that I didn’t call this bullet point, “fix your culture.” The key is to be curious and ask questions first.
Do you make mental health and self-care a priority? If so, is that communicated clearly?
Do you have an environment where everyone feels safe speaking up when they need help, are overwhelmed, or need a break?
Do you have systems in place so nobody falls through the cracks?
Your employees and colleagues are forever changed by the pandemic. Anyone who continues, or goes back to, operating in a pre-pandemic fashion will struggle to keep employees engaged and invested. Once you’ve asked some key questions, be prepared to LISTEN. (Again, we’re not fixing…yet.)
Naomi Osaka is shining a light on the culture of professional tennis and the toll press conferences can have on athletes. I wouldn’t suggest that all press conference cease immediately because one player brought it up as a challenge for their mental health. I do however hope that professional tennis and other sports will take her grievances seriously, remain curious, and ask themselves if their organizational culture is still working for everyone.
As a leader it is your responsibility to create a culture whereby others can lead themselves. That may mean turning the tides so that self-care becomes a priority – after you have asked some important questions and listened closely.