Optimising your Health Like a Leader

Being a leader often means living life in the fast lane: an immensely stressful environment and pressure from all angles to perform consistently to a high level. As a result, leaders are often so laser-focused on their business goals that their own health and well-being can fall by the wayside. It is no wonder that burnout among CEOs is so common that “executive burnout” is now a term. And the number of CEOs with other mental health issues is also on the rise, with one 2024 study finding that 55% of CEOs had had mental health issues in the last year.

But what if you started seeing your health as your greatest asset as a leader? Within this context, optimising your health like a leader becomes a non-negotiable if you want to avoid mental health struggles — or any health struggles for that matter — and lead effectively for many years to come. Read on as we explore how health and success in leadership are connected and share the health habits of successful leaders that you can adopt.

The Link Between Health and Leadership Success

Why is leader health optimisation so key to success? Physical, mental and emotional health all impact a leader’s ability to perform effectively. It’s important to consider health in this holistic sense in order to appreciate the interconnected nature of health and well-being thanks to the mind-body relationship.

The Importance of Physical Health for Leaders

Eating well and exercising regularly are integral to cognitive function. That means if you want to be a sharp, focused leader who can make smart, strategic decisions and find creative solutions to “impossible” problems, physical health needs to be a priority. In addition, getting adequate sleep alongside good nutrition and regularly moving your body help to lower cortisol levels. Lower levels of this “stress hormone” can enable leaders to maintain calm under pressure and handle crises more effectively.

The Importance of Mental Health for Leaders

Having good mental health stands leaders in good stead to navigate challenges and setbacks with resilience and avoid burning out in the process. Good mental health also enhances emotional intelligence. Having the ability to understand and manage your emotions enables you to be more attuned to the needs of your team, build better relationships and communicate effectively.

The Importance of Emotional Health for Leaders

Being a leader requires you to be compassionate and caring yet strong and decisive. Doing so is only possible with a high level of emotional health. For example, being self-aware — conscious of your thoughts, behaviours and feelings — allows you to make mindful, constructive and respectful decisions. In addition, being emotionally regulated allows you to have more choice about how you respond to the stresses of life instead of automatically reacting. In doing so, you can take responsibility for how you engage with your team and build strong relationships on a foundation of trust.

Why Health Optimisation Is Critical for Effective Leadership

Being healthy in body and mind goes beyond enabling you to perform in your role to the best of your ability. The potential ripple effect is huge. When leaders put their own oxygen mask on first by looking after their health and well-being, this can have a knock-on effect on their team, creating a culture of workplace wellness that benefits everyone.

Key Wellness Habits of Elite Leaders

How can leaders balance health and well-being with high-performance? By adopting various wellness habits that support physical, mental and emotional health. Here are four key areas for leaders to focus on to optimise their health like a leader.

The Importance of Sleep and Recovery for Leaders

Being well-rested increases energy, focus, patience, good mood, productivity, creativity and overall health. While most of us need at least 7 hours of sleep per night to operate optimally, the latest research into sleep indicates that having a regular sleep schedule is more important than the length of sleep each night. Good sleep habits are not just part of a healthy lifestyle for executives. The concept of “sleep leadership” underlines the significant impact that leaders who promote good sleep can have on the overall well-being of their organisation as well as workplace outcomes of employees. So if you are not already valuing sleep as the foundation of health that it is, take steps to improve your sleep hygiene and reap the many benefits of good sleep for you, your team and your organisation.

Nutrition Habits of Successful Leaders

If you want to have the energy to keep up with the demanding pace of life as a CEO, eating well is paramount. This includes eating balanced meals, including brain-boosting foods like omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidant-rich foods that combat oxidative stress. Limiting sugary and processed foods as well as caffeine and alcohol are also important considerations, as are supplements to fill in any nutritional gaps. To reap the nutritional benefits of eating well, a key leadership wellness strategy is to practise mindful eating — being present and engaged in the experience of eating — instead of eating on the run between meetings. Taking your time to eat slowly and mindfully can not only aid digestion but also relieve stress, which is key to being able to lead effectively.

Physical Fitness: A Pillar of Successful Leadership

When life gets busy, one of the first things to fall off the to-do list is being physically active. This is not a smart move for leaders. Regular physical activity can not only reduce stress and boost self-esteem but also improve concentration and focus, all of which are essential to be an effective leader. It is also a fantastic way to optimise energy levels for leaders. No matter how packed your schedule may be, incorporating physical activity into your daily life is a non-negotiable if you want to lead to the best of your ability.

The Role of Mindfulness in Leadership Wellness

One of the top elite leader wellness habits is having a mindfulness practice. Not only have practices such as Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction been proven to reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression but they also help you build self-awareness. This is key for building the emotional health required to be an effective leader. Bill Gates, Arianna Huffington and Paul McCartney are just a few examples of successful leaders who have long enjoyed the benefits of mindfulness practices such as meditation.

Health Optimisation Tips for Busy Executives

Aside from these key leadership health strategies, elite leaders can follow these executive health tips to get into the best shape possible: mentally, physically and emotionally:

Set up your day to be health-supporting:

This could include meditating upon waking, doing walking meetings, having a standing desk and scheduling in screen-free time later in the day.

Schedule in down-time:

Just as you block time in your diary for meetings, designate specific time slots for rest and relaxation. This could include massages, walks, meditation or simply sleeping.

Gather as much information as possible:

Information is power when it comes to health. Undergoing comprehensive testing to analyse your physical, mental and biological health enables you to tweak your diet and lifestyle to optimise your health and well-being.

Work with specialists:

For example, a personal trainer can tailor workouts to your needs and goals and motivate you to show up for yourself. And working with a nutritionist can help you to optimise your diet for your individual biological make-up. Or a therapist can help you build self-awareness and navigate the emotional and mental challenges that come part in parcel with being a leader.

At the end of the day, remember that your health is your wealth. If you are leading a busy, stressful or high-profile life and want to both lead effectively and maintain a high quality of life, it is imperative to understand the well-being of your mind and body. Our 7-day comprehensive health check-up is designed to help you optimise your health. You can contact us anytime.