Plenty of leaders lead teams and organizations effectively while also maintaining poor personal habits… And yet there is a growing interest in the research world on the effect of physical fitness on leadership potential.
In a recent article in the journal The Academy of Management Perspectives, Taking the Leadership High Road Charles Manz reviews the literature on the psychological value of fitness:
“Potential psychological and social benefits include improved mood, self-esteem, and social identity. Mood benefits, for example, can result from reduced anxiety and depression and increased feelings of vigor after physical exercise.”
The point of reviewing the physical and psychological benefits of fitness was simple: fitness increases mental and physical performance.
Leaders of all stripes regularly look for new ways to increase their performance. And yet so many neglect fitness as a great option for doing so.
If increasing your productivity, performance, and leadership at work is as simple as spending an hour in the gym each day… Isn’t that an investment worth making?