Coach offers respite from economic headwinds

Whangarei's Gwendolyn Needham is running a retreat for business leaders, as she believes leaders need better support in tough economic climates to avoid burnout. Photo / Christine Allen

For business coach and Anglican priest Gwendolyn Needham, a person's spiritual balance in business is just as important as their bank balance.

While there is no religious aspect to her upcoming business retreat to battle business burn out, Ms Needham strongly believes business leaders in Northland need a deeper understanding of how to avoid stress in tough economic conditions.

The priest, and former nurse, works as a business coach through her Highwise Leadership company, and is the author of personal development books High Roads - Keys to Personal Power and Business Success and Dear Young Adult New Zealanders, published in 2012.

She hopes to run a two-day retreat in Whangarei in May to help businesspeople "become more resilient".

"There are lots of people working hard in this region.

"But there are also statistics on social failure in Northland. There are not enough people in education and as a result, not enough people in employment."

Business is challenging for Whangarei small businesses, she said.

"There is anxiety being felt around business survival by good people running good companies. Business failure is frequent and that fear creates stress, which can eventually lead to family breakdown and business failure."

She said the retreat, which she has yet to confirm a venue for, would deal with the issue of burnout.

The retreat would aim to empower business owners and team members by helping them explore their own "beliefs, attitude and mind-power", through a holistic approach.

It would also look at power and the "misuse of power", work/life balance and the philosophy of leader-styles.

Ms Needham believed that "burnout is a disease of real achievers, not couch potatoes".

"We need our business leaders to stay healthy, happy, strong and resilient ..."

After a career in nursing, Ms Needham became one of the first women ordained into the Anglican Church.

She worked as chaplain to Northland Police for 10 years and also as a counsellor and life celebrant. She has also written Lasting Relationships - In Life, Love, and Marriage.

-For more information, email Gwendolyn Needham on be.free@xtra.co.nz.