Local Business
Now’s the Time… High Performance Leadership and Self Care?
Leadership is challenging.
Criticism of leadership, from numerous directions, can feel like death by a thousand cuts for those of us who are brave enough to take on leadership positions.
Learning resilience strategies, that are not driven by ego, is critical for sustainable results. One of the most important resilience strategies all leaders need is self care.
Self care is essential to your health and the health of your organization.
Throughout my adult life, I’ve experienced numerous leadership positions and leadership roles.
Often, I was up to my eyeballs with new responsibilities before I knew it and didn’t understand or have the time to look into how to survive my new reality. I had a skillset that was necessary for the work, I knew I had leadership capacity… but didn’t understand what self-care really looked like for me in my role.
My experience is familiar to many people who are promoted into positions because they were great at their previous role. For many of us, we end up in leadership roles and suddenly have responsibilities that are unfamiliar and take an immense amount of self awareness and other awareness.
Burnout can begin to undermine the job we want to do, the life we want to live and the even the self-care efforts that we may be trying to sustain.
There were times when I believed there was no other way, that the situation was my lot in life. I resigned myself to a mindset that was limited to what I knew. Little did I know that there were coping strategies within my reach.
I did not have a very robust idea of what self-care is about. I want to share with you some important truths and some questions for self reflection about self care that I wish I had explored earlier.
First and most important, self care, not driven by ego, is important. We cannot give what we do not have.
What resources are within my reach that I can draw on?
What do I truly believe about taking care of myself?
Self Care starts with what we choose to believe and focus on.
Condemning or critical thoughts may be undermining your self-care efforts. Choosing to talk to ourselves the way we would talk to a friend is a courageous choice.
Am I choosing to be compassionate to myself? Are there useful resources within my reach that I could or should access?
Self Care looks different for each of us. What fills my bucket may not fill your bucket. This is not about what SHOULD work for us. Regular, seemingly small deposits into your self care bank are more effective than massive one time efforts. Think of it like the daily act of brushing your teeth, as opposed to taking the holiday of a lifetime.
What would add to my bucket today?
Self Care is about meaningful connection.
Who are the people in your life who care about me?
What can I do to grow this important resource in my life?
Self Care is about finding moments, people and places where we can feel emotions.
Do I have a place to feel hard emotions in a safe place experience feeling seen, heard and understood?
Self Care is about finding opportunities for laughter. We all need to laugh and play.
Where can I find something today that will give me a good belly laugh?
Self care is about rumbling with setting boundaries.
Boundaries are about what’s ok and what’s not ok AND about being clear about what is mine and what is not mine.
What can I do to get clear about my boundaries?
Now, can you give the people in your team permission to do the same? The flip of self-care for others is empathy…. one of the most critical, and challenging skillsets for today’s leaders.
My suggestions:
Choose one of these elements of self care and strategically add it to your life for two months, then move on to another one of these elements.
Working with a coach has also been the best self-care gifts I have given to myself. Change almost always begins with a conversation.
Your 2019 will look brighter and more successful if you give yourself permission to play and get curious with self care strategies.
Self care has a way of growing what we most want in our lives. Want a healthy team? Taking the time to honestly ask the above questions is a courageous, and important, step.
If you’d like support or to explore any of these ideas further with coaching or training, please contact me at [email protected]
The Downtown Business Association (DBA) Board of Directors has made the decision to wind down the Association’s operations at the end of 2025.
The Board determined that the Association is no longer able to operate sustainably under the financial framework available for 2026. After exploring all reasonable alternatives, the Board concluded that it could not continue without reducing services to a level that would no longer provide meaningful value to levy-paying businesses.
The DBA does not receive any operating funding from City Hall in a regular year, all funds raised are through Business Improvement Area Levy that consists of a mandatory levy placed on all businesses operating within the Business Improvement Area. These funds are legislated under the Municipal
Government Act, to be used to promote the Business Improvement Area, which is achieved through marketing and event initiatives along with providing advocacy support primarily to local government on behalf of the business community.
In recent years, the DBA has been a committed advocate for re-examining the approach to Downtown Governance. The Board has consistently maintained that the responsibility for funding downtown initiatives in such a socially charged environment should not rest solely with the business community.
Despite their efforts, the DBA recognized that the funds generated through the Business Improvement Area Levy were insufficient to effectively address the growing challenges of the current operating environment. This ongoing financial strain highlighted the need for a more equitable and sustainable
model to re-establish the downtown as a safe and welcoming heart of the city.
At the annual DBA budget presentation to City Hall, the DBA requested the essential funding needed to implement the Greater Downtown Governance Committee’s recommendations — work that the DBA is uniquely positioned to lead and has been delivering despite depleting resources for many years. The request was not approved. Instead, The City offered a one-time $100,000 Grant-in-Lieu, paired with a proposed 60% increase to the Business Improvement Area levy in 2026.
After careful analysis, the Board concluded that increasing the levy would place undue strain on already challenged businesses and compromise the DBA’s role as a trusted advocate. Operating with the reduced funding of $225,000 would require further staff reductions in an already under resourced environment and a significant reduction in programs, making it impossible to deliver the level of support that downtown businesses deserve and vitally need.
Beginning January 1, 2026, the City of Red Deer will become the primary contact point for matters previously supported by the DBA, including downtown support programs, business-district coordination, events, safety and cleanliness support, and stakeholder engagement. The DBA will work with City staff to support a smooth transition.
The DBA will continue to provide Clean Team services through the delivery of the City-funded environmental contract until February 1st, 2026.
Quote from CEO, Amanda Gould:
“To our business community, we have always operated with your best interests in our heart, continually driving the vision of a thriving downtown environment that serves every member of our community. The changes ahead will have a significant impact on downtown, as there will no longer be an organization dedicated to ensuring the downtown remains top-of-mind, leading events, marketing initiatives, or advocating on your behalf. It is likely you will experience less coordinated support and collective representation.
After 13 years of service to you and our beautiful downtown, it is with great personal sadness that we find ourselves here, but our message remains clear – addressing the unique challenges of our downtown should not rest solely on your shoulders. We cannot, in good faith, collect a levy that does not enable us to provide the essential services needed for our evolving downtown landscape”.
Quote from DBA Board Chair, Brandon Bouchard:
“The incredible staff at the Downtown Business Association have consistently delivered on their mandate with outstanding dedication and effectiveness. Through their efforts, they have successfully promoted the downtown area, organized impactful marketing and event initiatives, and provided steadfast
advocacy support for the business community. Their work has extended well beyond the legislated requirements, as they have proactively responded to the evolving needs of downtown businesses, adapting to challenges and supporting operations within a complex and changing environment.
Despite the staff’s relentless commitment to positioning the DBA as an effective leader for downtown interests, the absence of a sustainable funding model has made it impossible to continue delivering meaningful support. The Board cannot, in good conscience, propose a levy that does not enable the
Association to meet the required level of service, address the shifting priorities of the business community, or respond to the continually evolving needs of the downtown”.
From Community Futures Central Alberta
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