Leadership Wellbeing

This article was first created as a client newsletter in 2025 and forms one of a series of three which explores specific facets of leadership which interest me, arising out of my coaching practice.

I feel that in one sense we've created a curious mythology around leadership: we celebrate the executive (or politician) who survives on five hours of sleep, the leader who skips meals, the visionary so dedicated they haven't taken a proper holiday in three years. There's a rather odd machismo around such behaviour.

But consider this: neuroscience research from Harvard Medical School shows that sleep-deprived leaders make decisions comparable to those who are legally drunk¹. Are we essentially promoting intoxicated decision-making as a leadership virtue?

The inconvenient truth is: your body isn't just the vehicle carrying your brilliant mind to the boardroom. It's the foundation upon which all your cognitive abilities rest.

When Stanford researchers tracked executives through intensive leadership programmes, they found that those who maintained regular exercise routines showed 23% better performance on complex problem-solving tasks and demonstrated significantly higher emotional regulation under stress².

The data are unambiguous: the leader who prioritises their well-being isn't being self-indulgent; they're being strategically intelligent.

Your Stress Becomes Everyone's Problem

Here's where it gets uncomfortable for high achievers: your nervous system doesn't exist in isolation.

Robert Sapolsky's decades of research on stress physiology reveal a troubling truth—chronic stress doesn't just make you feel terrible, it literally rewires your brain³.

What this means for leaders is profound: chronic stress makes you simultaneously less capable of complex thinking and more prone to emotional reactivity.

But here's Sapolsky's most unsettling finding: stress is hierarchical and contagious. He discovered that the stress patterns of dominant individuals can cascade through entire social groups. So when leaders operate in chronic stress mode, you're not just burning yourself out; you're potentially rewiring the brains of people around you, with consequences including diminished performance.

Beyond Work-Life Balance

The phrase "work-life balance" has long been problematic—it implies that work and life are opposing forces requiring careful equilibrium. What if the goal isn't balance but integration?

Compelling leaders choose not to compartmentalise their development; they recognise that physical vitality enhances mental clarity, emotional intelligence deepens strategic thinking, and being grounded can amplify authentic presence.

What’s more, executive "presence" isn't just about communication skills or strategic vision. It's about the quiet confidence that comes from knowing you can trust your own system under pressure. It's the authentic energy that naturally flows when you're not running on empty. It allows you to be the person who doesn't lose their head when others do.

Call to action 

Two of the most important things you can do for your health—and by extension, your leadership effectiveness—are embarrassingly simple.

First: Eliminate as much refined sugar and as many ultra-processed foods from your diet as possible (see Bikman⁴). 

Second: Get serious about managing your stress levels (see Sapolsky³).

The beauty of this approach is its brutal simplicity. Just two fundamental shifts that will potentially improve your cognitive performance, emotional regulation, and sustainable energy.

The trap into which executives can fall is thinking they can optimise their way around poor fundamentals. They'll invest in sleep trackers while drinking energy drinks, or go on a leadership development programme while living in chronic stress.

But Ben Bikman's research (his book is a great read, by the way) on insulin resistance, which he sees as a hidden Western epidemic linked to all five major causes of death, reveals that, when we constantly spike our blood sugar with processed foods, we're not just affecting our waistlines; we're literally impairing our brain's ability to think clearly⁴.

A radical leadership option?

In cultures that glorify ‘grind’, which we might define as relentless hard work, one radical thing a leader can do is prioritise recovery. Elite athletes have understood this for decades...adaptation happens during rest, not during training. Yet, somehow, we've convinced ourselves that leadership operates by different rules.

Research from McKinsey found that well-rested leaders outperform their sleep-deprived counterparts across every measurable dimension: strategic thinking, people leadership, innovation, and execution. More provocatively, a Harvard Business Review study revealed that companies led by executives who prioritised recovery showed 13% higher profitability and 40% better employee retention⁵.

The leaders who will thrive in our increasingly complex world won't be those who can endure the most punishment—they'll be those who can sustain the highest performance while remaining fundamentally human.

That's not just good leadership; it's arguably revolutionary for some organisations.

So here's my parting shot: is it the case that the future belongs to leaders who understand that sustainable excellence isn't about grinding harder—it's about recovering smarter and holistic well-being?

Your ability to restore and renew isn't just personal wellness; it's competitive strategy.

References:

¹ Harvard Medical School, Sleep Medicine Division. "Sleep deprivation and decision-making in leadership contexts." Sleep Health Research, 2019.
² Stanford Graduate School of Business. "Physical fitness and executive cognitive performance: A longitudinal study." Journal of Applied Psychology, 2020.
³ Sapolsky, R.M. "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers: The Acclaimed Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping." W.H. Freeman, 2004.
⁴ Bikman, B. "Why We Get Sick: The Hidden Epidemic of Insulin Resistance and How to Reverse It." BenBella Books, 2020.
⁵ McKinsey & Company; Harvard Business Review. "The business case for executive recovery and sleep optimization." Harvard Business Review, 2021.