What are some of the most neglected areas in leadership? I am sure you have things that come to mind with that question, but I have an answer that may not be what you think. Your health! 
I don’t have any concrete statistics to back this up, but I would suggest that personal health is strongly neglected in leadership. On a personal level, I have seen leaders forget to care for their own health and well-being. As the leader, you must take care of yourself before you can help others. So what do you do to take care of yourself? There are five areas to consider.
Mental Health
Medline Plus explains that, “Mental health is how we think, feel and act as we cope with life. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices. Like physical health, mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.” Be sure that you have a strong support group to maintain your mental health and also take time for yourself.
Physical Health
Physical health can be defined as a state of well-being when all internal and external body parts, organs, tissues and cells can function properly as they are supposed to function. To maintain your physical health, you should get the proper exercise and medical attention as needed. It is very easy to put off your physical health when you have so many other things pulling at you, but if you do, the negative side effects will come back and haunt you later in life.
Emotional Health
Good emotional health is feeling good about yourself and those around you. It is having the ability to handle emotions like anger, stress, depression,etc. in healthy ways. Not having good emotional health is just the opposite and can include mental diseases and disorders. Just as with mental health, you should have a good support group to maintain your emotional health.
Social Health
Social health refers to that dimension of an individual’s well-being that concerns how he/she gets along with other people, how other people react to him/her, and how he/she interacts with social institutions and societal morals. Find friends or a group of people that you can interact with on a regular basis to help maintain your social health.
Spiritual Health
Spiritual health consists of coming to peace with one’s self and discovering a sense of purpose. Sometimes spiritual wellness is accompanied by the realization that all humanity is somehow interrelated and that true happiness involves more than the acquisition of material goods. I maintain my spiritual health by praying to God each day, and it helps me feel at peace. I encourage you to find your inner peace.
Be sure to take care of your health by eating right, getting proper exercise, and having a strong support group because your health is all you have. How do you take care of your health so you can function as a leader?
Please share your thoughts and comments in the comments section below.
Hi Brandon,
Thank you for your insights. There is sooo much more to physical health. Are you willing to explore?
Would love to hear from you. I promise not to bite.
Willard
Hi again Brandon,
It is not clear whether you received the first message. Physical health is major. You have scratched the surface. Are you willing to dive in?
Look forward to hearing from you.
Willard
Welcome Willard!
Thank you for sharing your comments. I appreciate your request and I will try to address it in more depth in some of my future posts. Thanks, Brandon
Hi Brandon,
Thanks for your response. Are you open to one on one conversations?
Have a great day.
Willard
Willard,
Of course I am open to one on one conversations. Please feel free to email me at brandonwjones@leadershipdoneright.com.
Thanks!
Hi Brandon,
It’s funny – I was just reflecting on this aspect of leadership this morning. What you are talking about taps very strongly into a book by Tony Schwartz – The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working. He talks about the same aspects of health (with the exception of Social Health, but I’m sure it will be in there somewhere). I have only read the first chapter of his book so far, but it’s amazing! I encourage you to have a look at it – I’m sure it’s relevant to the topic you’ve introduced here.
I always keep coming back to the old adage – put your own oxygen mask on first. You can’t really help, or lead others, unless your own health and self leadership is in place and well practised. It’s worth remembering and reinforcing.
Cheers,
Helen.
Welcome Helen!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I will definitely have to check out that book. I really like how you drew the analogy of putting on your own oxygen mask first because as leaders you must take care of yourself to be able to help others. If you forget about yourself, you will be an ineffective leader in the long run.
Thanks for sharing!
Brandon
The recommendations you discussed here are really useful. It absolutely was such a fun surprise to have that awaiting me after i woke up to find this event. Thank you very much for the tip!