Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a director of marketing, or some other leader in your organization, you likely have a goal of being the best leader possible. You want to fill the people under you with motivation and inspiration, while guiding them to be the best possible versions of themselves they can be. This is naturally challenging, even if you have a solid predisposition to strong leadership. If you’re currently dealing with severe health issues, it’s going to become even harder.

So what strategies can you use to remain a strong leader even when you’re dealing with those health issues?

How Health Issues Can Complicate Leadership

There are several ways that health issues can complicate your ability to lead. Obviously, some health issues are going to be more impactful than others. For example, mesothelioma symptoms can be downright debilitating; on top of having to regularly attend treatment sessions, you’ll likely be struggling with pain, coughing, and other symptoms that limit your physical abilities.

On the surface, health issues can preclude you from engaging with people around you, and sometimes even showing up for work altogether. Responsibilities and obligations related to your health issues, like attending appointments and undergoing treatment, can siphon your time, so you aren’t as available to your staff. And as if that weren’t enough, health issues can also deprive you of your natural confidence, making you second guess your abilities to lead.

Unfortunately, certain health issues will necessarily make it harder for you to be your best as a leader. However, there are several mitigating strategies you can employ to continue leading effectively even in the face of this.

How To Remain A Strong Leader When Dealing With Health Issues

These are some of the best strategies for remaining a strong leader while dealing with other health issues:

•         Recognize your limitations. First, proactively recognize your limitations. If you’re currently struggling with something, you probably already know how it impacts your body and mind. If you’ve recently been diagnosed with a disease, you owe it to yourself to thoroughly research and understand the impact of that disease. Once you better understand your strengths and weaknesses, you’ll be in a much better position to put your best foot forward.
•         Focus on your health first. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to continue in the course of your business leadership and professional development, even as you’re struggling with personal issues. However, it’s always important to put your health first. If there’s ever a conflict between what you need for your health and professional responsibilities, set the professional responsibilities aside. If you don’t take care of yourself, your leadership abilities are only going to wane further.
•         Go easy on yourself. Good leaders are typically introspective, thoughtful, ambitious people. Unfortunately, this collection of traits can make them hypercritical. While you’re going through this health episode, make it a point to go easy on yourself. You can continue holding yourself to high standards and striving to be your best, but don’t beat yourself up if you can’t do what you normally do.
•         Practice proactive time management. Proactive time management is crucial for effectively leading in spite of your physical health limitations. Between appointments, follow-up sessions, meetings, professional responsibilities, and personal responsibilities, there may not be enough time to do everything you want to do. If you don’t already have a time management system in place, like time blocking, now is the time to develop one.
•         Communicate openly. Try to communicate openly to whatever extent you’re comfortable. Explain what you’re dealing with to the people around you and help them set proper expectations for what you’re able to do. Most professionals will be more than happy to accommodate you and offer you support.
•         Remain positive. Do what you can to remain positive, even on the toughest days. It’s not an easy challenge, but it’s one that can help you and the people around you feel better.
•         Delegate. Excellent delegation is a central skill for good leadership. That’s true even for people without health complications. If you’re struggling with your health, delegation becomes even more important. Find people on your team you can trust and have them take over some of your responsibilities.
•         Get extra support. Don’t be afraid to look beyond your team for extra support as well. Lean on friends and family members as you process what’s happening to you. Consider attending therapy sessions or joining a support group. The more support you have, the more you’ll be able to support others.

Nobody is going to expect you to be a perfect leader while you’re struggling with health complications. However, with the right mindset and the right strategies, you should be in a position to continue helping and supporting the people underneath you.