Most leaders get paid to think. So I like to think of the brain is a sort of “currency” for gaining leadership effectiveness. Over the years, I have learned that the brain forms a foundation for your capacity as a leader and your ability to operate well in your role.
This makes it critical to tend to your brain and keep it functioning in an optimal way. Dr. Daniel Siegel and Dr. David Rock have created the Healthy Mind Platter, which has seven essential activities, or ‘mental nutrients’ that your brain needs to function at its best. Many of us forget to include a number of these seven activities in our daily lives. For example, do you take play time, down time, physical time to move your body, and time for quiet reflection?
Thinking well helps you produce better decisions, better relationships and better results. When your time gets overly compressed, you can get stuck in overwhelm or ‘fight or flight’ responses that produce reactivity and poor thinking. To think well, you have to be well. Take a look at the Healthy Mind Platter, and see how much time you are investing in each area!
