leadership workouts

Part of my routine is to workout 3-4 times a week for 45-60 minutes, lifting weights and walking on the treadmill.  At the end of each workout, I determine success by what I call the sweat and soreness measure...how much have I sweated and how sore am I over the next 24 hours?  If I achieve a high sweat and soreness score over a period of time, I feel better and am in better shape over the long haul.  So it is with leadership...to get better at what I do in this role, I need to consider my sweat and soreness measure as a leader.  Let me explain:

• When was the last time a presentation made you sweat because you had opened yourself up to questions and were not sure what the next one would be?
• How often have you walked out of a meeting feeling a little beat up because you allowed your team to be open and honest with you?
• How often do you find yourself sweating because you are making decisions of which you are not sure of the outcome?
• When was the last time you sweated having to deliver bad news...and hurt a little bit because you actually delivered that news?
• How often are you reading something that makes your brain hurt?
• What new thing are you trying that makes you hurt in places you never imagined existed?

Here are two caveats to the sweat and soreness measure of leadership:

1. Many people find that exercising in groups holds them more accountable and is actually more fun...be sure to include your team in your workout.
2. The higher my sweat and soreness measure after a good workout, the better I feel about myself - the same is true for leaders.

Enjoy your next workout!