Female leaders soak up knowledge, make connections at LSUS Women in LeadHERship Conference

Female leaders soak up knowledge, make connections at LSUS Women in LeadHERship Conference

SHREVEPORT - How do you respond when somebody asks how you are doing?

"I'm good." "I'm fine." "I'm blessed."

But for most women, especially ones who are in leadership positions at work and at home, those statements don't necessarily reflect reality.

Dr. Latora Grant Scott delved into "Invisible Exhaustion" as a keynote speaker at the third annual Women in LeadHERship Conference at LSU Shreveport on Friday.

More than 100 leaders, community members and LSUS students and staff gathered to gain insight into topics like coping with exhaustion, building bold careers, letting go of perceived limits, and thriving even when life falls apart.

"When somebody asks us how we're doing, we might say these things even if our hair is on fire," said Scott, a career nurse with a doctorate in public health who combines clinical and holistic health practices. "There are 15 million tabs open in your brain, and society teaches us that if we're not moving or we're not doing something, we aren't being productive.

"We cultivate an image of perfection that doesn't exist."

Scott added that operating in this mode for long periods has detrimental effects mentally, emotionally, and eventually physically.

"People who have invisible exhaustion appear to be functioning normally - they get up and accomplish tasks at home and work - and everybody thinks this person has their life together," Scott said. "When you're in a state of prolonged fatigue that doesn't get better with rest and sleep, it will start to affect you on a cellular level.

"If you ' don't have time to breathe,' chances are you're mentally exhausted."

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of people in the U.S., and Scott said the first stages of heart failure start with high blood pressure and an enlarged heart, stages most people don't take note of before they get to the more serious heart failure stage.

Invisible exhaustion's physical impacts affect systems across the body, including the immune system, digestion, cognitive function, muscle recovery - all of which lead to increased inflammation throughout the body.

Life doesn't stop, so how can one reverse the effects of invisible exhaustion while still excelling at work and home?

Taking care of one's self to function at a higher level includes drinking plenty of water (divide body weight in half, drink that many ounces daily), reducing food that inflames one's body like sugar, and investing time in activities that reduce stress.

Scott, who teaches yoga, added that taking just a handful of minutes to be still every day can have overarching positive effects.

Professionally, setting clear boundaries for oneself and their team can lead to more realistic and sustainable expectations.

"You are the rockstar of your team, but you have to delegate things fully and not partially," Scott advised. "That's hard for us as leaders, but you have to stop over functioning for your team or doing things outside of your team's scope.

"Just because it won't get done if you don't do it doesn't make it your responsibility."

Scott added that women can reduce decision fatigue by simplifying recurring choices like meals and outfits.

Making a list of all obligations and the time in which it takes to participate can help a person decide which activities they need to reduce or eliminate.

"Superwoman is fictitious, she doesn't exist," Scott said. "You have to normalize 'no' or 'not now.'"

In-depth discussions from accomplished speakers are the norm at the third edition of the Women in LeadHERship Conference.

Attendees heard from fellow keynote speakers Dr. Tiffany George-Issac and Lisa Arendell.

George-Issac is a doctor of nursing practice and a faculty member at Southern University in Shreveport and Northwestern State as well as an owner of a health and wellness boutique.

Lisa Arendell, a John Maxwell Leadership Trainer, is a body language coach specializing in both verbal and nonverbal communication as well as a behavioral consultant.

The conference also featured a bevy of interactive sessions featuring Lindora Baker, Dr. Anita Sharma and Constance Patel.

Leigh Chambers, executive director of events and community initiatives at LSUS, said the women's leadership conference allows the university to be an active partner in the community.

"LSUS is a reflection of the Shreveport community, and we have an obligation to plan lifelong experiences for the community," Chambers said. "This conference is a personal favorite of mine, and I'm blown away each year that the community shows up and invests in it.

"That investment lets us know that this conference is meaningful and is moving in the right direction."

The conference takes place each March in recognition of Women's History Month and also has a male conference counterpart in January titled MENtality.