A leader has to demonstrate not for optics, but for real, that he/she has the necessary capacity to undertake and manage, at work place or otherwise, physical, mental and emotional stress. A leader cannot be a slouchy coach, while wanting to encourage his team; he has to lead by example. A physically fit team evokes confidence for superior performance.
A leader has to demonstrate not for optics, but for real, that he/she has the necessary capacity to undertake and manage, at work place or otherwise, physical, mental and emotional stress. A leader cannot be a slouchy coach, while wanting to encourage his team; he has to lead by example. A physically fit team evokes confidence for superior performance.
Smoking, drinking, eating, and sleeping patterns surely impact upon health. A manager, who is sick, cannot have the energy to boost the confidence of the team mates. Matter is energy; only if the matter is put to test. The need for following a strict regimen of exercise cannot be over emphasised. It is the physical exercise that enhances energy and mental tenacity.
It is good to keep moving in the office. It is generally believed that the sitting in a given posture must not extend beyond 45 minutes, at a stretch. One must get up and pace the corridors. An attempt must be made not to have lunch at the desk; instead it is good habit to take a bite outside the office environment. Physical exercise impacts moods, emotions, memory etc.
Leaders, who are cheerful at the office, normally are those who lead a regulated life. My father, a senior civil servant, practiced with religiosity the old adage of “early to bed and early to rise, makes you healthy, wealthy and wise "(since he was amongst that rare breed of honest civil servants, he missed by miles achieving any of the wealth standards!).Sleeping patterns are significantly responsible for either causing distress or absolute comfort and calm to the personality of a leader. Being short on sleep results in agitational mood and it causes friction on the flimsiest of reasons between colleagues, between the leaders and the team and spoils the working environment.
A daily schedule of proper workout is essential for sound leadership qualities to emerge. These workouts must have proper time limits; there is no need to over indulge in exercise, for, it can lead to irreparable loss or damage to bones, muscles or tissues. Keeping a keen eye on weight and its alignment with the standard of body mass index (BMI), your physical appearance begins to bring itself close to the real age. There is a saying, ‘if you want to see what your body will look like tomorrow, look at your thoughts today’. Exercise expunges stressful sentiments and emotions; hence it helps in shaping a positive attitude.
That brings me to, “mens sana in corpore sano” (healthy mind in a healthy body). Avoid at all times, as a manager/leader, the temptation to indulge into hear-to-say and gossip. It is venomous, not only to the recipient but also to the broadcaster. Staying clear of malicious conversation tremendously helps maintain the right levels of motivation.
A leader experiences several triggers during a day’s work that have the potency to dislodge the balance in attitudes and reactions. The nitty-gritty-focused bosses are prone to release all the available reservoirs of anxiety, stress, and acidity. They (bosses) may, though most unlikely, find time to visit you at an intensive care unit in a hospital – but isn't that too late, for you to realise the importance of good health. However, such an event is stoppable only if the leader manager would care to do brisk walk, light exercise, and maintain a fine balance of priorities between work and personal life.
Upon examination of human history and its quest for seeking better living conditions, it dawns that those who led expedition of either exploit or of discovery, were people, who enjoyed good health. The ability to endure hardships of travel ensured their success. Such sturdy leaders like Marco Polo, Alexander, Napoleon, and Babar (he masked his ill-health) were epitomes of a disciplined life. They exuded strong will power, leading to display of amazing self-confidence.
On the subject of hiding ill-health conditions from their followers, we have in the last hundred years of history seen leaders achieve astonishing landmarks.
These leaders knew that knowledge of ill-health would depress their followers’ much needed enthusiasm to achieve success in the cause they stood for. Mr. Jinnah (Quaid-e-Azam) was a patient of tuberculosis, but he never let anybody know of his health status --by 1947, his frail health had begun to exhibit on his physical self. Jawaharlal Nehru is on record of having said, that if he knew, Mr. Jinnah was suffering from Tuberculoses; he would have delayed independence from British rule, by a few years – does it require much intelligence to know what the implication could have been for the Muslims of the sub-continent had Nehru learned about Jinnah’s ailment. Chou-en-Lai, the first Chinese premier and the architect of communist China, had one hand which was frozen and it just stick to his side; to mask this disability, he always held out the warmest handshake – to the degree that it startled many spectators. J.F. Kennedy, who will always be remembered in history, as the most charismatic president the USA has ever produced, was always to the worry of his parents, in and out of hospitals, most of his teenage years and even later too --a fact not known to many back then. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the polio-stricken US president, popularly known as FDR, is also a case in point. They learnt to fight out their ill-health, very surreptitiously, without making it known to the people.
The classic example of a fit leader is Imran Khan, who is scheduled to take oath as prime minister of the country on August 18, 2018. Does he not appear more confident in his speech and demeanour, because of his well-shaped physical self, than his arch political rival, whose is obese and have undergone an open-heart surgery? A fit leader automatically commands respect. Good health adds to the charisma of the leader. The superior manager always maintains a proper balance in his/her life. “Serenity of spirit and turbulence of action should make up the sum of a man’s life” (Vite Sackville – West). Leadership and to be more precise good leadership seeks healing from within, it does not condemn, belittle, or vent negativism, but instead inspires positivity and creativity.
Leaders must not be self-indulging, either in the intake of prohibited drinks or in the burning of dollars in smoke. Regulate. And nothing is more sustainable than self-regulation. A disciplined life is an assurance against ill-health.
Leaders have to and must do hard work. At the same time, there should be clarity on limits to do so. By overstretching to get a few extra dollars and cents, you essentially would end up saving for the hospital and clinic bills that you may have to pay, down the road.
If you, as a manager/leader wish to look-after health issues, upon the visitation of the angel of death, surely, that would indeed be late! Don’t wait to retire to find time to exercise or to concentrate on your well-being. The cognitive ability enhances when the physical self is fully energised. Good health is a pre-requisite for good leadership. A new title in the corporate world within the ‘C Suite’ of executives is getting popular i.e. organisations are appointing “Chief Wellness Officers”. Their job is to ensure that the staffers remain healthy and fit. All leaders must regularly go through a complete medical checkup, at least, once in six months (and political office holders please have the checkup done at your own expense, and not at the state’s!).
I never fail to remind myself, albeit, it does very little to push me to personally follow the above stated prescriptions, the words of Jonathan Swift, “"The best doctors in the world are Doctor Diet, Doctor Quiet, and Doctor Merryman." Practice Swift's advice. The results may surprise you.
The writer is a freelance columnist
