by Jonathan Jones
The saying “A fish rots from the head down” means if the person in charge does a bad job, it will have negative implications for everyone working under him. Conversely, if you want to have a healthy culture, the leader must be healthy. That includes being physically, mentally, socially and emotionally healthy. A leader models the behavior others will follow and therefore must demonstrate behavior she would expect from everyone else.
Being physically healthy is important because leaders cannot lead if they are unable to work. Many businesses have key man insurance on important leaders because there is a huge risk if the key leaders die or are disabled. Physically healthy organizations have few sick days, plus insurance costs are usually lower.
Leaders need to stay mentally healthy. The world is changing around us constantly. If a leader is not learning, they could put their organization at risk. High-performing leaders and organizations are always learning and applying new ideas to grow their organizations.
The definition of a leader is a person who leads a group or an organization of “people.” Managers manage “things.” A true leader must connect with their employees or volunteers and inspire them to achieve more toward a common goal. People work harder and are more engaged when their leader cares about them as a person. Good relationships create a more socially healthy organization.
Living a well-balanced life helps a leader stay emotionally healthy. Having time to strengthen relationships with family and friends sends a message to employees. Employees hope to see a leader who lives the type of life they would like to live.
To be the best leaders you can be for your culture, you must take active measures to be healthy and encourage your developing leaders to do the same.
Jonathan Jones (Jonathan.jones@vistagechair.com or 314-608-0783) is a CEO peer group chair/coach for Vistage International.
Submitted 5 years 179 days ago