What does being an effective, successful leader have to do with working out?? While we could go down a whole other path about the connection between physical and mental/emotional strength, that isn’t the focus today. It does, however, make a good analogy, so we’ll use it.
What is the benefit of working on your core and making it stronger? As a gym trainer will tell you, it impacts the degree to which you can perform in other activities.
- A strong core improves your balance and your ability to maintain your center of gravity. You’re in a crowd and someone rushes by and knocks into you – instead of falling down, you may lean or wobble a bit, but can pull yourself back to standing using that core.
- Agility is another benefit of strengthening your core. You have in increased ability to change directions quickly when trying to avoid an obstacle, or trying to reach the goal line (think football here).
- While speed in and of itself is not an outcome of a strong core, think about the balance and agility factors. You can move much more quickly and efficiently toward the goal if you’re able to avoid getting knocked to the ground and can move around anything in your path.
In the physical sense, your core is the center that keeps you balanced and grounded while moving through life. So let’s bring this back to the leadership conversation…
In your professional life (and personal life, too!), the stronger your core, the more effectively and efficiently you can move toward your goals. In the mental/emotional sense, your core is your values and principles. They help you maintain balance when something tries to knock you down. They help you avoid obstacles in your path and pivot in a way that keeps you on course and moving toward your goals.
How do you strengthen that core? The core values and principles, which are the lens through which you lead yourself and others? The only way is by being intentional and consistent about continuing to learn and grow.
What happens to your physical strength if you don’t put in any effort there for a couple of months? It diminishes, along with your balance, agility, etc. Nobody can get in shape once and then magically maintain it with no additional work. You don’t need hours a day, just a consistent effort on a regular basis. The same holds true for your mental/emotional strength.
Make your core strength a consistent priority and you’ll feel more balanced, agile and able to move effectively and efficiently toward your goals!