Written by Dr. Gaia Domenici, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise
What is common to all successful and charismatic individuals? I have asked myself this question many times, to understand if such a thing as the ʻformula for successʼ exists. Well, despite the diversity of fields, I have individuated 5 lifestyle habits common to all great leaders.
Whether you are the CEO of a big brand, a solopreneur, a manager or a team leader, make sure you incorporate these 5 habits and improve your leadership skills.
1. Consistent Sleep Patterns
You might have heard many times that Thomas A. Edison and Benjamin Franklin used to wake up at 4 am, or that Steve Jobs used to wake up at 6 am every single morning. However, if you think that getting up early was the secret to their success, you are wrong. The truth is, to rise early is not as important as it is to be consistent with your bedtime. For example, Marc Zuckerberg wakes up at 8 am, but he is very consistent with his routine (according to this website).
Here are some tips to help you create a sustainable bedtime routine:
Keep it realistic: track your sleep for a few days and see what waking times make you perform at your best but are also easily maintainable in the long run.
Stay away from blue-light devices at least 1 hour before bedtime, and avoid work-related tasks or mentally-engaging activities: you can set your phone or laptop screen on night mode, surround yourself with red or warm light lamps and perform some mild stretching.
Try to go to bed at least 2 hours after your last big meal but avoid feeling hungry: a good idea is to have a cup of Greek yoghurt with berries or a square of chocolate (but be mindful of your caffeine intake) with a herbal tea, 30-40 minutes prior to bed.
2. Clean Eating Habits
Another common pattern among successful leaders is to acknowledge the impact of food on emotional, mental and physical health, as well as on performance. That does not mean that successful individuals should be following a strict diet, but it means they should prioritise clean and wholesome sources of food whenever possible. Here are some simple strategies that will help you out:
Plan and prepare your meals in advance, and make sure your fridge, freezer and cupboards are fully stocked with easy-to-cook, ʻcleanʼ ingredients (e.g. meat; fish; poultry; canned beans or lentils; fresh, canned and frozen veggies and fruit; yoghurt; cheese; eggs; potatoes; rice or quinoa; etc...).
When creating your meals, always start from proteins; then pick carbs and fats to match your choice: protein is an essential macronutrient that gives you satiety, regulates blood sugar, is used to repair body tissues and plays a vital role in brain functioning. Having protein with each meal is the simplest way to consume an adequate amount of it, while also avoiding overeating sugars or fats, which might lead to energy crashes or underperforming (as I explained in my previous article).
When eating out, prefer options with few, fresh, understandable ingredients over highly-processed foods full of preservatives, refined sugars, trans-fats and lab-made, hard-to-read ingredients.
3. Regular Strength Training
It is no secret that all successful individuals keep active: mens sana in corpore sano, right? However, the most successful ones do not merely engage in physical activities but are actively and enthusiastically involved in strength or power training, or high-intensity activities. Indeed, research has shown a correlation between strength and power training and improved cognitive and neuromuscular functions, relating to better functionality in old age (check out my previous article). Moreover, consistent exposure to high physical intensity has a significant impact on mental and emotional growth, translating into improved focus, discipline, fortitude and resilience (what I have elsewhere called “3D strength”).
Here is what you can do to incorporate strength training into your life and be consistent with it:
Keep it short and realistic: unless you are planning on competing in a strength sport, there is no need to lift more than twice or three times a week, and for no longer than 45 to 60 minutes.
Invest in a coach or a qualified PT: let them help you set realistic goals for yourself, and support you along your journey.
If a gym environment feels intimidating, train at home or in the park: you do not need specific gym equipment to build strength, all you need is adequate resistance, and that can be found in your body weight resisting gravity (e.g. press-ups, pull-ups, inverted rows, planks, etc...) or in small pieces of equipment that you can easily store in a cupboard or wardrobe (e.g. kettlebell, resistance bands, dumbbells, etc...).
4. Connection With Their Intuition
Have you ever wondered why the greatest leaders and entrepreneurs are often called “visionary”? The most successful individuals listen attentively to their inner voice and are in tune with their intuition. Whilst many of them practise consistent meditation, meditation per se does not give them special skills; however, it helps them connect with their intuition.
Here is how you can get in tune with your intuition effortlessly:
Start journaling: observing and recording your feelings and emotions in a non-judgmental way will make you aware of your subconscious responses to different stimuli and situations. In the long term, it will connect you with your innermost Self and your inner voice.
Practise visualisation exercises regularly: visualising yourself in different situations will help you develop the necessary skills to face similar situations in real life. Moreover, getting into the habit of asking your inner Self for advice and listening to your inner voiceʼs answers will make it easy for you to let that voice guide you in difficult situations.
5. Meaningful Relationships
All successful individuals acknowledge the importance of deep human connections on spiritual well-being, and spiritual well-being on success. Nobody denies that hard work and discipline are key to success. However, when it comes to long-lasting, sustainable results, spiritual and emotional well-being outweighs hard work and discipline. Simply put, you cannot pour from an empty cup. Moreover, the feeling of belonging to a community brings a sense of security and protection that counterbalances the stress of working alone.
Here is how you can build meaningful relationships:
Do something for your local community: whether it be junior football coaching or Sunday soup kitchen, giving something to others will make you feel part of an organism bigger than yourself. As a bonus, you might become friends with like-minded people, and build even more meaningful relationships.
Schedule family time every week or more often: do not let your busy work prevent you from bonding with your closest ones. Remember, time is the only currency that cannot be earned back once spent.
Do not be afraid of joining local meeting groups or signing up for classes or activities you enjoy: connecting with the right people will create a supportive environment that will enhance your creativity.
To Conclude
The 5 lifestyle habits common to all successful leaders are: having consistent sleep patterns, having clean eating habits, practising strength training (or high-intensity activities) regularly, feeling connected with their intuition, and building and maintaining meaningful relationships.
In this post, I have given simple tips to build such 5 habits and improve your leadership skills. There is one more quality, however, that I have not listed but is perhaps the most important one: authenticity. The main characteristic of great leaders is that they are not afraid of being themselves. Once you incorporate these 5 habits and combine your lifestyle with authenticity, success is guaranteed.
Dr. Gaia Domenici, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Dr. Gaia Domenici, also known as 'The Strongest Shield-Maiden', is a certified Nutrition and Health Coach, Strength and Conditioning Coach, Personal Trainer, and published author, with a Ph.D. in Philosophy.
After spending a decade juggling between gym and academia, Gaia realized that body, mind, and spirit are a whole, and, as such, they need to be trained together. So she founded 'Fitnosophy: Build Your Body Realise Your Self', a platform to share the spiritual meaning of fitness, and the impact of a strong body on a meaningful life. Following the sense of void and uncertainty left by the 2020 pandemic, Gaia founded the 'Shield-Maiden Tribe', a community in which women from across the world can share their inner and outer strengths, and nourish their Inner Warrior, empower each other, and grow stronger together.
Since 2018, Gaia has coached countless clients and athletes worldwide, helping them get in tune with their Inner Warrior, and achieve physical, mental, and spiritual goals.
