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Leaders who are capable of self-care are better placed to care for others, but many neglect some key aspects of the practice, according to specialist consultants.

In their book The Power of Care, social psychologist Dr Siew-Fang Law and leadership coach Hannes van Rensburg draw parallels with healthy diets, and the people who know that some foods don't agree with them and should be avoided.

They say self-care requires an understanding of the connection between one's inner well-being and the broader socio-cultural and political environment, so leaders can make context-sensitive choices to care for themselves and others more effectively and sustainably.

"When we ignore the messages of 'system clashes' and bury ourselves in unhealthy practices, we may fall ill, or experience malnourishment – not just physically, but emotionally and socially, causing unintended harm to ourselves and others."

The authors categorise care into four areas...