What others hear when you say, "I'm so busy"

Leaders can enhance their well-being and leadership effectiveness by naturally regulating brain chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin, which can improve emotional stability, motivation and collaboration, writes consultant Marlene Chism. You can boost each of these internal chemicals by changing your diet, practicing gratitude and spending more time with loved ones, Chism notes.

Put it into practice: Improve your mood by boosting serotonin with regular exercise, get a dopamine hit by listening to music and pump up your oxytocin by getting a massage, Chism suggests. "The more you know about well-being and self-care, the more choices you have to set the conditions for personal happiness and increased leadership effectiveness."

As a leader, it's imperative to learn how to say no (without being rude) so you can focus on your priorities and prevent burnout, writes leadership expert Carey Nieuwhof, who offers six steps to follow, including acknowledging that you'd like to meet with the person if they'll schedule a time and if you need to pass up their offer, thank them and direct them to someone else who may be able to help. "You may deny the request, but you want to honor the relationship," Nieuwhof writes.

Put it into practice: By asking for a person seeking your time to set up an appointment, you may find the majority of them won't follow up, which means "the meeting likely wouldn't have been a good use of either of our time," Nieuwhof notes. If, on the other hand, the requester persists, Nieuwhof suggests being firm and saying something like, "Thank you, but I'm going to pass."

Be quiet and step back. Eighty-four percent of you report the biggest mistakes new leaders tend to make is being too involved in their team's work. Whether that's being assertive without understanding, micromanaging or dictating the way things need to be done, these behaviors demotivate the team and frustrate their ability to be empowered.

A new leader should pause, be quiet, listen and learn when they take on a new role. Unless something is glaringly wrong, resist the urge to change things. Be quiet and learn -- your team does things the way they do for a reason. Understand their circumstances and those reasons.

When you do see improvement opportunities, ask your team how they'd like to solve the problem then get out of their way and let them do it. Instead of "looking down" at the work the team does, "look up" to bigger issues and longer-term challenges. That's your job. You no longer drive the bus -- you read the map and set the course.

-- Mike Figliuolo is managing director of thoughtLEADERS, which includes TITAN -- the firm's e-learning platform. Previously, he worked at McKinsey & Co., Capital One and Scotts Miracle-Gro. He is a West Point graduate and author of three leadership books: "One Piece of Paper," "Lead Inside the Box" and "The Elegant Pitch."

Throughout her career, former Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi faced numerous leadership challenges, including workplace biases and the pressure of balancing professional and personal life, and she stresses the importance of resilience and adapting to the evolving demands of leadership. "[H]aving clarity of direction, clarity of purpose, and looking at your people as assets, not tools for the trade, are going to be the only successful elements of the formula for the future because people are going to make you successful. You can't do it all yourself."

Researchers at the University of Cambridge and Queen Mary University of London are examining whether brainwaves synchronize between dogs and their owners during interaction, a phenomenon seen in human pairs. The study uses electroencephalogram recordings to track brain activity, aiming to understand the depth of the human-dog bond and potentially predict the effectiveness of therapy animals.

As someone who likes to be helpful to others, I have a hard time saying no, even if my plate is already full. Carey Nieuwhof's six-step plan for handling requests you must turn down is valuable. Following his steps can help you protect your time so you can focus on your priorities without spreading yourself thin, thus inviting burnout.

I think the most important thing is to be clear and direct with your no. Thank the other person for bringing you the opportunity, and provide a reason for your refusal if you need to, but don't be vague or overly apologetic.

Be empathetic to show that you understand their feelings and perspective, and acknowledge the effort they've made. Offer alternatives if you can by proposing a different timeline or approach or, as Nieuwhof recommends, direct them to someone else who can help.

Overall, remain calm and professional and be positive, leaving the door open to collaboration on future projects (if you're willing).

If you're respectful and constructive in your no, then you can maintain a trusting relationship with someone you may want to work more with in the future.

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