Leadership is taxing, and to successfully maintain a leadership position requires endurance–both mental and physical. Lacking either will negatively impact motivation and discipline, which are essential to push through the tough times. Being fit to lead means having a healthy mind in a healthy body. That’s why the most successful leaders worldwide spend some of their valuable time maintaining their fitness.
Padmasree Warrior, the CEO of Fable, is one such leader. Forbes has listed her as one of the “World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” and also among “America’s Top 50 Women in Tech.” Known for her leadership roles at Motorola and Cisco, she is also a dedicated fitness practitioner, waking daily at dawn to train before work. She even installed a treadmill in her infant son’s bedroom, so she could exercise while taking care of him.
Dick Costolo, CEO of Twitter from 2010 to 2015, is so highly regarded for his telecoms expertise that President Barack Obama appointed him to the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee. Yet his personal Twitter feed looks like that of a fitness professional.
The list goes on. Brian Chesky, who co-founded Airbnb, used to be a competitive bodybuilder. Richard Branson, who founded the Virgin Group, exercises daily; his activities include swimming, Bikram yoga, rock climbing, running, and weightlifting. Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of American Vogue and global chief content officer for Condé Nast, plays tennis for an hour every morning before work. Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, has a fully equipped gym in his home, where he works out, in addition to playing tennis and swimming.
The Connection between Fitness and Leadership
Regular exercise is well known to provide health benefits such as lowered blood pressure and cholesterol. It also improves sleep and boosts immunity. All of this, in turn, combats stress and anxiety.
To stay healthy in stressful times requires reducing your stress factors or bolstering your ability to weather them. It is vital that, as a leader, you are attuned to the rhythms of your body, and understand how energy fluctuations affect your performance. Staying fit is crucial because you can’t listen to your body if you don’t know its strengths and limitations.
Maintaining fitness can contribute to leadership in the following ways:
- Improved Problem Solving
Several studies have shown the positive links between exercise and cognition. For example, one study showed that exercise enhances the functionality of neurotransmitters involved in cognitive processing. And the exercise-induced release of endorphins that enhance one’s mood also exerts a positive effect on cognitive functioning.
Other studies have found that endurance exercise triggers a muscle protein production that stimulates the genes responsible for learning and memory. It is also believed to stall cell death and may help in managing the symptoms of neurodegenerative conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Leaders have to find creative solutions to problems. Exercising regularly helps ensure they can confidently make the right decisions more often.
- Enhanced Energy and Productivity
A strong, fit body can endure longer and produce more than one that has not been conditioned. As a leader, you need to outlast the strongest member of your team, helping everyone across the finish line. Maintaining your physical fitness means one less thing to worry about.
- Mental Wellness
A regular exercise regimen ensures regular doses of mood-enhancing endorphins and can break negative cycles of rumination.
- A Happier Team
Studies have shown that teams mimic their leaders. By setting an example of physical fitness, you set the bar for the rest of the team. A fit and healthy team is happier, more creative, and more productive.
- Confidence
Leaders build trust by displaying confidence. Mood-boosting endorphins and the confidence that comes with being in good shape are tools you can use to your advantage.
Making Exercise a Habit
Sharon McDowell-Larsen, an exercise physiologist who has worked closely with many top executives, recommends the following to executives wishing to turn exercise into a habit:
- Do short stints often. Short periods of moderate exercise daily are better for sustained energy than, for example, an hour only on weekends.
- Increase your daily activity. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, and don’t drive if you can walk.
- Track your progress. Keep yourself motivated by logging your workouts and setting goals. Wearable devices make this easy.
- Be flexible. With a busy schedule, you may need to take opportunities to exercise whenever they arise, especially if you travel frequently.
- Add variety. As convenient as a treadmill or stationary bike may be, you will likely get bored. Mix things up with a walk or run in nice weather, or arrange a game for some social interaction.
John F. Kennedy once said, “Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.” Make physical fitness a priority in your daily leadership practice, and you will quickly see the benefits.