Finding leadership in the body
Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live in.
-Jim Rohn
Our bodies are an interesting thing. You’re given only one without a return policy so how you take care of it or don’t, has a lasting personal impact. Here are some things that our bodies can teach us about our leadership.
The body is excellent at communicating.
The body will surely tell you that something is wrong, but it will often not tell you why or what the root cause is. Isn’t that the way it often is in the workplace too? You know something is wrong but you have to dig around to find what the root cause is. Listen to your team and environment for the most subtle of changes. That nuanced change could be the tip of a much larger issue. When you don’t listen to the problem it only festers and the consequences can be irreversible.
The body becomes stronger when it trains.
Training is not easy because it’s something that you have to force your body to do. As you invest more into it, it gives you more performance and works more efficiently. The best athletes win because they put the work in so their bodies are prepared for what they are about to go through. I’ve learned first hand what happens when your training is just one race to another….your body breaks down. Your leadership works exactly the same. In order to grow and become a better leader, you have to train and get stronger. That means not settling or relying on past experience to get you through the next challenge. Your leadership will eventually break down because the changing dynamics of challenges will eventually get the best of you. Keep yourself sharp so that you can remain relevant longer.
The body can become leaner if fed the right things.
To be healthy, you have to feed your body the right kind of fuel. The Krispy Kreme diet, no matter how sweet and yummy will catch up to you quickly. Think of your personal life and the company you keep as fuel or food. They will either add value to you and make you stronger and leaner or they will weigh you down with their own burdens. The wrong company (fuel) will make you doubt your abilities and capacity to reach your goals. When you find that you are in this situation, do what you would do when you start eating right…..throw out the garbage. You don’t always have a choice in the matter, but you should disassociate yourself with those that do not add value to you. Look for new mentors. Feed your leadership and personal life through reading and learning from ones that want to help. Grow your knowledge by learning from people with a different perspective than yours. You don’t have enough time in your life to waste with those that bring you down.
Make a healthier tomorrow.
-ZH
