Business leadership means public responsibility but personal responsibility is something that should never be overlooked. It takes a great deal of work, effort and commitment to head a business. That requires your best self to fulfil your role and to set the example you expect your team to follow. Your health and fitness should mirror the health and fitness that you are looking for your employees to have. They look to you as the leader, it is vitally important that you lead by example.
For so many of us, achieving success can come at a great personal cost. The late nights, travel and entertaining often means that other areas in life are neglected. What is the point of making it to the top if you or others around you cannot enjoy and share that success?
Business stress and pressure underline how important it is to maintain a life balance and well-rounded health. It’s for this reason that there is more community support for corporate wellness than ever before. Today’s leaders have to set the tone within their organizations to ensure everyone’s health and wellbeing.
Did you know that 90% of CEO’s and upper management struggle with work life balance?[1]
There are many training programs available to executives. Training in management, technology and cutting edge techniques to make you a faster and more decisive master of your business. They are all helpful, but they ignore the personal cost to you and the team you lead. Your lifestyle inspires your staff and everyone benefits from the improved efficiency this brings.
Here are a few practical tools that any manger can implement on a daily basis to focus on their personal health;
- Dedicate 60 minutes 3 days a week to movement. I recommend outsourcing this to a health and fitness professional to enable the most efficient use of your time. Motivation and clear goals are part of a professional approach.
- Schedule “off time” each day. This may be family time, reading or meditation, but the purpose is to remove screens from your life so that you can refocus, gain clarity and create balance in your life.
- Mindful healthy eating. Running a business often means the nutritional side of life slides. Lunch meetings, networking events and corporate entertaining can destroy even the best intentions. The key to success is not to try to be perfect, but instead be mindful of what you are consuming. Does the meal you are ordering have a good balance of protein and vegetables? Is it the healthiest option on the menu?
As the leader of a company, you set the tone and create the culture for the rest of the organization. The company will look to its leader to feel confident that their best interests are at the core of the company’s culture.
According to a recent survey (Workplace Wellbeing) conducted by Reventure, a non-profit think-tank, 73% of Australian workers are stressed, and stressed workers are 2.5 more times likely to be looking for a new job within a year compared to those who are content in their work.[2]
Would you make a change if you knew 73% of your workforce was unhappy with their roles?
Here are a few benefits of having a healthy workplace:
- A healthy workplace is a productive workplace. Who wouldn’t want their employees (and themselves) working as efficiently as possible?
- Less sick days. The less time employees have off, the more work gets done. It is that simple
- A health and wellness program in the workplace makes staff feel valued and positively impacts workplace culture.
Implementation of a wellness program can be a very simple process that will reap great rewards. In the end these programs ultimately save employers money. There is a wealth of evidence indicating that successful health and well being programs provide an excellent return on investment.
For instance, one meta-evaluation looking at economic return of worksite health promotion programs found on average wellness programs:[3]
- Decrease sick leave absenteeism by 25.3%
- Decrease workers compensation costs by 40.7%
- Decrease disability management costs by 24.2%; and
- Save $5.81 for every $1 invested in employee health and wellbeing
It’s pretty hard to think of a reason why a workplace wellness program would not be a good thing to implement. Wellness programs do not have to be overly complicated, but they do have to align with not only your business, but your values.
A few good examples would include:
- Providing healthy nutrition options in the work kitchen/fridges
- Bringing in an health professional to talk to the team about various health topics on a quarterly basis
- Weekly optional employee group exercise sessions (great for team bonding as well)
- Meditation, relaxation, yoga and Pilates sessions
The most important factor in all of this is that your workplace knows that you care about their health and wellbeing. There is a rapid movement towards living a healthier life and the development of employee first workplaces, can you afford to miss out on this positive change in the business environment?
The best investment anyone can make is to their own health and fitness. As a leader in business you are also responsible for more than just yourself. You have families, employees (and their families) and your company to look after. If you invest in your own health, and the health of those around you, you are going to enjoy sustained success with a happier, more efficient workplace.
Over the last 3 years Authentic Personal Training has established itself as a leading health and fitness studio on the Lower North Shore. Its supportive community environment is unrivalled in the area and its fully tailored training programs are designed with individual success in mind.
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https://www.authenticpt.com.au/real-results
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