If you’re a leader, your well-being is a business investment.
You are the foundation of your firm: the quality of the team, company culture, the ability to scale, and so much more. Sleep, nutrition, and exercise aren’t just smart lifestyle choices. In your case, they’re non-negotiables designed to put you in the best position to steer your firm toward more success.
Think about it:
Imagine you come into the office tired, stressed, with a furrowed brow and heavy bags under your eyes. A night of restlessness is clearly printed on your face and attitude. How much confidence is that going to inspire in your team? How likely are you to give them reassurance of your abilities to ideate, delegate, and make sound decisions?
Now imagine you’re coming in refreshed, with a confident posture and a smile on your face, greeting them energetically and even making small talk as you walk toward your office.
It’s not about “selfishness” or “vanity” at all. Exercising and prioritizing your health and well-being is about being the leader your team is happy to look to and be inspired by. It’s about being a leader whose decisions aren’t compromised.
When officers go through Navy SEAL team training, the first thing they are taught to do is learn how to function in spite of sleep deprivation. They intentionally disrupt their wellness because that’s how important it is to sound judgment and sharp decision-making.
So if you’re neglecting your nutrition and your exercise, which in turn will affect your sleep quality and your ability to show up and be productive, confident, and patient, how are you going to be a leader that executes efficiently? A leader who inspires trust and confidence and similar dedication to the firm?
Business is not a sprint; it’s a marathon.
You have to train for long-term success, not short-term wins. If you keep thinking of self-care as a time waster, as something that takes you away from work as opposed to helping you with it, it’s only a matter of time before you burn out and take the rest of your team down with you.
So if this is ringing true for you, if you’ve neglected your well-being and cast taking care of it off as an activity of secondary importance, you have a choice.
Reevaluate your decisions and understand that your health is the direct reflection of your business acumen. Or keep going at your current rate and see how long it takes before your crumbling health compromises the longevity of your career. Choose wisely.
