Leaders Bring the Weather

When I was a freshman in high school, the varsity football coach called me into his office and told me “I want you to play quarterback.”

I was surprised, as I thought of myself as a defensive back. In fact, I once told Steve Young (of San Francisco 49er fame) that I would intercept a pass of his when I grew up.

I asked my coach why he wanted me to change positions. “You’re tall, you have a strong arm, you have good grades, and you’re calm.“

Now, Coach Underwood was the quintessential 1980s football coach – the kind of person you don’t say ‘no’ to.

I didn’t have any idea about how to play QB, how to lead a team, how to set the example – none of it. Coach Underwood knew this. The first thing he gave me – before Xs and Os – was an article written by legendary BYU football coach LaVell Edwards.

It was an article on quarterbacking, and it was all about POISE

In our org, we like to say that “leaders bring the weather.”

That’s what Coach Underwood was laying the foundation for when he had me focus on poise, first and foremost. Given the position I was taking on, my demeanor in the huddle, at practice and in the locker room set the tone.

I brought the weather – good or bad.

As leaders, the storm or calm we bring into our organizations is dictated partially by our training and experience, but mostly by how we’re doing emotionally, mentally and physically.

It makes intuitive sense, right? It’s also backed up by reams of data.

Given the stresses of leadership, if you’re not taking care of yourself then your teams will likely be facing stormy conditions. When you’re emotionally drawn down, feeling pain, or dealing with internal strife, your cognitive performance declines. And you’re more reactive and less poised.

Your team will sense this. Because humans are social creatures and take cues from leaders, your direct reports will in turn reflect your weather on their teams.

That compounding effect impacts performance, employee well-being and retention, and ultimately customer satisfaction. You’re left with a culture that is an anchor on performance, rather than a culture that enhances performance.

The ultimate result? Studies show that organizations with performance-enhancing cultures grow 4 times faster than those without such cultures.It all starts with our well-being as leaders.

Want to Know More?

1. Reach out to me directly at per.larson@movement-rx.com.
2. Stay tuned.We’re delivering a Leadership Program for a Fortune 100 company this month and next, and at least 50% of that training is on leader well-being and longevity in the role.  We’ll report back on how it all went.

Remember, your self care is not a luxury, rather a leadership strategy!

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Very Respectfully,

Per & Dr. Theresa Larson