3 reasons effective leaders take wellness seriously
You want to lead effectively, then I encourage you to take your personal wellness seriously. More often than not, the people who work day and night without care or concern for their wellness will live to regret that choice.
Wellness as defined by the University of California is “Wellness is an active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life. Wellness is more than being free from illness; it is a dynamic process of change and growth. It is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
Most of the time when we hear the word or concept of wellness its associated with working out or losing weight. Its best to focus on all dimensions of wellness to live your best life.
Types of wellness include emotional, environmental, intellectual, physical, social and spiritual. [Basics of Leading Yourself]
The four basic aspects of leading yourself are:
- Well being
- Vision
- Execution
- Productivity
The three reasons effective leaders take wellness seriously:
1. Money saved on healthcare costs are reduced. The cost benefit analysis shows that it saves corporations money.
There are almost 100 different studies that have looked at the financial impact of wellness programs. These studies are not easy to do, they require extremely complicated ROI analyses, and they take years to complete.
In 2001, a comprehensive review on the financial impact of worksite wellness programs was published. That study reviewed 100 different research papers. The ability of a wellness program to reduce healthcare costs depends upon how effective the program really is. Having an occasional lunch and learn about nutrition or just doing a biometric screening will not be enough to move the healthcare cost needle.
Comprehensive worksite wellness programs that improve employee behaviors will see a bending of the healthcare cost trend. Most often they will discover that the savings from program participation will be greater than the actual cost of the program.
Almost everyone of these return on investment (ROI) studies show a positive return on investment. Researchers from Harvard recently published another summary of the wellness ROI research.
2. Leadership is all about setting an example. You don't have to be perfect - people are much more likely to respect an executive who knows how to handle his / her flaws.
3. Focusing On Wellness Reduces Feelings Of Isolation. Some symptoms of isolation include increased stress levels and bad decision-making.
I encourage you to go on a 12 month wellness journey.
As mentioned in this episode, you're invited to attend the next round of our Women's 3-Day Leadership Intensive. Click HERE to register.
Much Love and Much Respect,
Angela
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Angela M. Odom is a life and leadership coach, founder of The Better U Project brand, podcast host, proud Army veteran and the author of BRONCO STRONG: A Memoir of the Last Deployed Personnel Services Battalion and a contributing author to the book, "Camouflaged Sisters: Leadership Through The Eyes of Senior Military Women Leaders".
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