Watch our video about having “Vigor”

Being a strong leader doesn’t just mean knowing your stuff. It doesn’t mean having all the words to say or planning all the right things to do. At it’s core, it means being strong—literally.

Your physical, mental, and spiritual health all have a direct impact on your work performance and your leadership. This is why Vigor, which encompasses all three, is the fifth essential element of SurTHRIVELeadership. Let’s take a look at these three components by themselves.

First, the mind. Having a sharp mind improves our intuition, creativity, problem solving skills, memory, and more. It’s the easiest to see how mental health directly impacts our work life, and virtually all other aspects of our lives. Be a rational decision maker and a thought leader for your team; keep your mind in top shape by learning or trying new activities, playing games that engage your memory and cognition, and getting good sleep.

Having a strong, healthy body is paramount, regardless of your job. Whether you sit in a cubicle or constantly move around the hospital floor all day, keeping in physical shape makes your individual tasks a lot easier—not to mention, it sets the baseline for your mental and spiritual health as well. Physical health involves a balanced diet, exercise, and checking in with your doctor regularly.

Spiritual health is the most difficult to identify and measure for most people, but it makes the difference between a leader who gets the job done and an impassioned leader who goes above and beyond. Being spiritually healthy means connecting to the true purposes of work and life and acting upon the drive to fulfill those purposes. We do this by creating meaningful relationships with our clients and coworkers, developing emotional intelligence and a clear vision for the team.

A major factor in a persons’ vigor is their work-life balance; the time and energy they dedicate to their job versus their personal life. If too much emphasis is put on work, unwarranted stress is put on the important people and tasks in personal life, and vice versa. Learning the place of both in your day-to-day can significantly improve both worlds and keep you from burning out.

Later in this series of blogs, we’ll discuss how each generation of Americans handles this work-life balance and why the differences between them is changing the nature of the workplace.

It takes work to develop a balance, holistically healthy way of life, but the payoff is immediate. Next week, we’ll look at how each of the previous tenants of SurTHRIVE culminate in the last one: Excellence. Stay tuned.