The Wellbeing Advantage – Are You Serving or Sabotaging your Uniquely Human Superpowers?
If you were the driver of a formula 1 racing car, would you ignore its maintenance? Would you skip essential services and drive it flat out until it broke down? Of course, you wouldn’t, that would be madness!
Yet many of us treat our most valuable uniquely human asset – our brain – far less carefully than any machine. We push harder, ignore mood & emotional signals, cut sleep, skip daylight and exercise and power through on coffee and adrenaline – and somehow, we have mistakenly and irresponsibly called this resilience.
But true resilience isn’t about relentless endurance, it’s not a muscle we build, it’s scar tissue we develop. Resilience is “the capacity to withstand or recover quickly from difficulties, it’s not the ability to achieve sustained high performance whilst consistently under-resourced”.
Capacity is the vital ingredient of real resilience
Because relentless resilience without capacity = burnout
In a world that rewards speed, adaptability, wisdom in complexity, sustained high performance, the future will not belong to those who simply work the hardest, it will belong to those who are most conscious, evolved and able to unleash the full potential of their greatest asset.
Sustained high performance is built on well-being, not achieved at the expense of it!
The data is clear – well-being isn’t ‘soft-stuff’ , it’s hard science with real business impact:
- Leaders reporting the highest levels of wellbeing are 30% more productive, 23% more engaged and up to 3 x more creative
- Harvard Business Review reports that executives who prioritise recovery and self-care show 40% greater resilience in the face of change and uncertainty
- According to McKinsey, high performing leaders are 5 x more likely to sustain peak performance when they intentionally cultivate both their physical and mental energy.
- Social connection – one of the strongest predictors of well-being – can extend life expectancy as much as giving up smoking!
The successful organisations of the future will be those who harness AI efficiencies and human superpowers, but as I’ve alluded to already, you simply can’t access these superpowers if you’re running on empty.
Most of us assume we are doing well enough until we pause to take an honest look, that’s why we’ve created a quick self-assessment to help you reflect on how you’re really doing across 6 fundamental pillars of capacity;
- Mental Clarity – thinking clearly, focussing deeply and making wise decisions under pressure
- Emotional Regulation – understanding & managing emotions under pressure calmly & confidently
- Physical Vitality – treating your body like a non- negotiable performance asset
- Purpose & Meaning – living and leading in alignment with your purpose and values
- Social Connection – investing in relationships that recharge and support you
- Creative Flow – imagining new possibilities and shaping the future
The leaders of the future won’t be the loudest or longest grinders, they will be the ones who invest in the superpowers that give them the ultimate competitive advantage.
“Your wellbeing is not a luxury, it’s your greatest advantage. Every choice you make to sharpen your clarity, strengthen your resilience, fuel your vitality, deepen your purpose, connect with others and spark your creativity expands your capacity to lead and live fully” (Carole Gaskell)
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