I have a vision for you as a leader. That vision is one of being a corporate athlete—physically, intellectually, spiritually, socially, and emotionally in tune.

I want to share with you a leadership habit I practice myself. I have that list in a place I see it every single day. The list reads: physically, intellectually, spiritually, socially, emotionally in tune.

So as not to overwhelm myself I take one of these five elements that make up a corporate athlete, and I focus on one of them per week. You can use the same five week cycle and ask yourself reflective questions that are personal and meaningful to you as a leader.

1. Physically – I ask myself, do I have enough energy to get me through the week, so I can speak, so I can work, so I can do the things I need to do as a dad? If I don’t, I then ask myself, what needs to change? Do I need more sleep (honestly, this can be a hard one for me)? Do I need to exercise more? Do I need to eat better? I evaluate my habits and alter the ones that will result in me being able to lead well physically.

So what is holding you back physically?

2. Intellectually – Then the next week, I ask myself, am I reading inside my industry? Am I reading outside my industry? Do I know what is affecting me politically and economically? Are there some general topics I have been confronted with about which I know nothing?

Ask yourself, what are some insights you don’t have that you want to get?

3. Spiritually – This is deeply personal and only you know if you’re in a good place. So are you?

4. Socially – The fourth week I have to get a big mirror out and ask myself, how am I acting around others and toward others. I ask myself, were there times recently where I was talking too much and listening too little? Have the symptoms of CEO Disease crept into my life?

What about you? Are you drinking too much? How are you acting around others? Do you need to be quick to listen and slow to react?

5. Emotionally – It is really hard for people to want to follow us as leaders if we’re constantly dumping our emotional baggage everywhere. That’s not to say we can’t or shouldn’t be authentic and transparent, but as a leader every single day is show time.

So are you a mess? Do you need to accept the bad and then move people to a better place? Because when you walk into the office ready to win, thats the way today is going to go for everyone else you lead.

Listen to episode 27 of my leadership podcast.

When I get to the end of that list—when I through the fifth week in the five week cycle—I start all over again. I focus on element number one again because I don’t want to become lethargic and die.

I encourage you to have some real and consistent method of evaluation to make sure you’re operating on all cylinders and equipped to lead with purpose, direction, and optimism.

Lead well,

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