The Surprising Secret For Outstanding Results That Most Leaders Take For Granted
Have you seen "Top Gun: Maverick"? Love that movie. I have a friend who was a fighter pilot and who saw real action flying F-4 Phantom jets. He loved it too.
I was interviewing a CEO for my show on YouTube, "Conversations with The CEO Sensei". As we were sharing our stories and discussing the upcoming episode, I found out that he is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and was an F-15 fighter pilot. The U.S. military academies are academically rigorous and demanding, and the Air Force Academy is no exception.
In addition to his studies, this CEO was a member of the Academy’s rugby team. I know from my own experience that as a collegiate athlete the combination of rigorous academics and the demanding schedule of practices, meetings and competition leaves little personal time or extra time for rest.
And he admitted that at times he was getting by with just four hours of sleep. When he graduated and was in flight school, he learned that as a requirement, all fighter pilots had to get at least 8 hours of sleep each night.
Scientists and Doctors
Did you know that your brain “washes” itself while you are sleeping? Scientists studying dementia have determined that certain enzymes in our brains can create plaque that builds up that can block neural connections. When sleeping our brains go through a process of “washing” away these harmful enzymes.
Most doctors recommend that you get 7-9 hours daily of restful sleep.
Your brain requires downtime.
That makes total sense to me. I mean, these highly trained fighter pilots are responsible for machinery worth hundreds of millions of dollars; and of course, their ability to make clear decisions in critical moments have life and death consequences.
What led us to this discussion was my own experiences and how important sufficient rest is to your health. I had forgotten.
I forgot to make my health one of my top priorities. And in 2018, I nearly paid the ultimate price. It’s something that most CEOs and Senior Business Leaders forget until they are faced with life and death.
CEOs, Managing Partners & Leaders
I was meeting with one of my clients who told me she was feeling overwhelmed. This was a big admission for her. She was very focused and driven, and she had built a great company. She epitomizes success.
As we were walking through some of her concerns (an admitted worrier), I asked if she was getting enough rest. She said that she could probably use some more sleep, but (in her words) that as we get older, we don’t need as much rest. Whoa! That wasn’t true then and it’s not true now!
So what does making your health a #1 priority have anything to do with improving your results?
In a state of good health, physical,
mental, emotional and spiritual, you are clear, calm and confident.
Daily challenges and problems are solved more effectively and efficiently. And when you are clear, calm and confident, you are better as a leader and able to more clearly anticipate problems to get ahead of them.
In a state of worry, overwhelm or even - dare I say it - fear, you are likely to make the wrong decisions at the wrong time. Stress has a way of altering your perspective.
7 Recommendations To Help You
Sleep alone is not the only determining factor in having good health, but it’s a biggie. Here’s what I recommend to my clients who want to skyrocket their results, elevate their status, make better decisions and be the leader that others want to follow:
Make Your Good Health a #1 Priority - your family, colleagues and the people you lead will appreciate that you did.
Make sure to get 7-9 hours of sleep each day. There are plenty of watches and apps that can help you manage this and give you some good data. Just don't overthink it or obsess about it.
Not only sleep, but make sure you get enough rest. If you feel like you need to take a break, tap a break. Take a nap if you feel you need one. Really. Usually, 10 - 20 minutes is all you need.
Take breaks during the day to rest your brain. Studies have shown that our brains need a 5-minute break about every hour or so.
Physical activity is important to feeding your brain and initiating several helpful hormones. Exercise of just about any kind is good for your mental acuity and mental health.
Focus on your breathing. The one autonomic bodily function that you have control over is your breathing. And you can directly affect your stress level by mindfully breathing to regain your focus. Meditation guides and apps are a great way to start. Find a method that’s right for you.
Begin and end with Gratitude. Our highest level of human emotions are found in gratitude and appreciation. In that state, your ability to make critical decisions is enhanced, and you are at your best as the leader. I recommend that you list three things you are grateful for in the morning to start your day, and before turning in, end the day with three things you are grateful for that happened during the day.
Just before Christmas 2018, my heart had stopped. My mortality laid bare. I wasn't focused on my health as a top priority until that point. As one mentor - a retired CEO - said to me,
"As a leader everything is important. But in a crisis of health, there's only one thing that matters - your good health".
Since then, my physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health have been at the top of my list of priorities. (And yes, I achieved a full recovery).
To help you I created a simple to use guide that will get you started on a path to making your health a priority, The Leaders GPS™. Get the Leaders GPS™ Here. My guide will set you up to make your health a priority and help you regain your sense of calm, clarity and confidence in any situation.