The Link Between Leadership Success

A skilled senior executive in New York, Ian Shehaiber most recently served as the regional director of operations for Chipotle Mexican Grill. In this capacity, he provided strategic leadership for over 60 stores in Long Island and New York City. Dedicated to health and wellness, Ian Shehaiber is a firm believer that a sound body leads to a sound mind, and that exercise is particularly important for leaders of all kinds.

Leaders often put others first to the detriment of their own well-being. This leaves them vulnerable to stress and negatively impacts long-term success. Regular exercise fights against this. Not only does it reduce stress, but it also lowers cholesterol, reduces blood pressure, and improves immunity and quality of sleep.

In response to these positive benefits of exercise, the body functions more efficiently. Leaders who sleep better are more effective during the day. This is because lack of sleep makes certain tasks feel harder. This means that those who skip exercise not only lack energy because of poor sleep, but they feel as if certain daily tasks require more energy. In addition, exercise helps leaders better cope with the demands of their job, while the decrease in stress frees up their brain for critical work.

Since leaders are busy, finding time to exercise is challenging. However, short multiple bursts of intensive activity benefit the body just as much as longer routines. Something as simple as three 5 to 10-minute workouts a day are plenty for combating the stresses and other issues associated with leading a company or organization.