How To Be A Healthy Leader

In Bob Rosen’s book, Grounded: How Leaders Stay Rooted In An Uncertain World, he explains that there are six dimensions of being a healthy leader:

1. Physical health: how you live. How you manage your mind and body – managing your energy and living a peak performance lifestyle.
2. Emotional health: how you feel. This is about being self-aware and having positive emotions and the ability to be resilient, catching yourself when you have a counterproductive thought. This also includes seeking feedback from others about how you act and trying to be more reflective.
3. Intellectual health: how you think. This is about asking questions, being deeply curious and seeing changes as an opportunity to grow, learn and reassess the way you see and talk about the world.
4. Social health: how you interact. This is about authenticity. How do you build relationships? Are you being honest about yourself? Are you comfortable being vulnerable? Do you consider other people’s viewpoints?
5. Vocational health: how you perform. This is about the drive for success. Great leaders have their own meaningful calling, unleash their own potential and have an intense desire for self-improvement.
6. Spiritual health: how you see the world. This is about the ability to tap into a sense of connection with something bigger than yourself. You have a sense of gratitude, are respectful of diversity and have a higher purpose. In short, what is the legacy you are trying to create? 

Leaders who are working to improve themselves in each of these six areas are what Rosen calls “grounded leaders.” In short, staying centered in your authentic self—being true to who you are and your values. 

Furthermore, being self-aware is critical. You can become more self-aware by asking for feedback and encouraging constructive criticism from those around you, including people at all levels of your organization and, when appropriate, even clients and vendors.