Welcome back to the pod! Today’s episode is for nurse leaders who’ve ever felt like they’ve lost themselves in the demands of leadership. Whether you're burning out trying to fill every gap for your team, or you’ve drifted too far from the bedside and feel disconnected from why you started—this is for you.

I’m walking you through why this happens and how to get back to yourself, without stepping away from your role. You’ll learn how to realign your personal priorities with your organization’s mission, so you can lead with clarity, purpose, and energy again.

We’ll get practical with two reflection questions you can use today, plus I’m sharing a sneak peek into something special I’ve got brewing for nurse leaders like you.

🔑 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why so many nurse leaders feel like they’ve lost themselves in the role—and how to tell if you’re one of them
• The difference between being dedicated and being depleted, and how to stop sacrificing your own needs for the team
• How to reconnect with why you became a leader in the first place, even in a high-pressure environment
• Two powerful questions to help you realign your personal goals with your leadership responsibilities
• What it means to be a systems thinking leader—and how to show up for your team and yourself at the same time

🧠 Key Ideas to Take With You:

• Leadership without self-connection leads to burnout. You matter in the equation too.
• You can care deeply about your team and still have personal goals that fuel your work.
• Aligning your organization’s mission with your own priorities will center you and help you lead sustainably.
• Leadership isn’t about losing yourself—it’s about bringing your whole self to the role, strategically and intentionally.

🛠️ Two Reflection Questions to Reset Your Leadership:

1. What is the primary organizational priority that your team needs to focus on right now?
2. How does this organizational priority connect to a personal priority you have as a professional?

Start here. Get honest. Then build your leadership plan around BOTH.

🎧 How to Get the Most Out of This Episode:

This isn’t just something to listen to passively. Grab a notebook or open your notes app and answer those two questions. Come back to them weekly if you need to. When your goals and your organization’s goals are running parallel, you don’t lose yourself—you grow.

📣 Something Big Is Coming…

If this episode resonated with you, and you’ve been craving more support as a nurse leader, I’ve got something exciting on the horizon. A new program just for nurse leaders is in the works. If you want to be the first to hear about it (and get your first clue), join the super secret nurse leader waitlist.

📲 Stay Connected:

• Follow on Instagram: @nursing.the.system
• Subscribe to System Sunday: Sign Up Here