Self-care or Self-preservation? Redefining Leadership

Concurrent Session 10
Leadership

Brief Abstract

Have you struggled with finding balance between life and work? How do you take care of “you” and your team through the demands of work and life? Participants in this session will explore how self-care is an essential part of “healthy leadership” for leaders and aspiring digital learning leaders.

Presenters

Lead Presenter: Cristi Ford, D2L Corporation

Co-presenter: Tina Parscal, Colorado Community College Sysytem

Tina Parscal is the Associate Vice Chancellor for CCCOnline and Academic Affairs for CCCS. In her role, Tina leads CCCOnline, the online consortium of the 13 CCCS community colleges, and oversees systemwide academic technologies and collaboration. She also represents CCCS on several statewide groups dedicated to advancing open educational resources (OER). Over her career, Tina has held numerous academic and administrative leadership roles in higher education, including provost and chief academic officer, dean, and faculty. She is an expert in OER, instructional design and innovation, teaching and learning, and innovative models that enhance the student learning experience. For her outstanding leadership in digital learning, Tina earned the Dick Jonsen & Mollie McGill Award from Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, Cooperative for Education Technologies (WCET) in 2022. Tina holds a bachelor’s degree from Regis University, a master’s degree from the University of Colorado Denver, and a doctoral degree from Capella University.

Additional Authors

Extended Abstract

Title: Self-care or Self-preservation? Redefining Leadership

Have you ever wondered how leadership styles have evolved over time? It has been a journey from the battlefields to the boardrooms, from the executive suites to contemporary coaching sessions. But the evolution of leadership isn't the only aspect of the workplace that's changing. Mental wellness is now taking center stage, and self-care and personal health are becoming a top priority for many organizations. Wellness of employees begins with leadership. But who’s taking care of the leader? Klug and Krick (2022) found that a leader’s self-care is a determinant of healthy leadership. Research also shows that employees may benefit from self-caring leaders. Thus, workplace self-care is dual faceted encompassing leader self-care and employee self-care. Additionally, leadership and self-preservation are closely intertwined. People who have strong leadership qualities typically possess a heightened sense of self-preservation to protect their own interests, as well as the interests of those they lead. Amongst the daily chaos of life, what does leader self-care look like and when does self-care become self-preservation? 

This leadership panel discussion explores workplace self-care through a leader’s lens. A survey was conducted to add to the growing body of workplace self-care literature. Survey results of senior level leaders and personal experiences will be shared. Participants will be engaged in activities to reflect on their own experiences and share effective self-care practices.