Leading Well Starts with Health: Why Caring for Yourself Is Not Optional

Princes Cullum
Oct 1
4 min read

Leadership is often celebrated as having grit, perseverance, and vision. Yet behind even the most powerful leaders is a body, mind, and spirit that requires care. Too often, health is treated as a luxury rather than a necessity, and that mistake costs leaders, teams, and ultimately entire organizations dearly.

When stress and weariness become the default state, decision-making dulls, innovation wanes, and even influence can erode. The good news is that health and leadership don’t have to be at odds. In fact, investing in well-being can amplify your capacity to lead with clarity, confidence, and connection.

The Hidden Toll: Health and Leadership for Everyone

Every leader experiences tension (long hours, high stakes, constant demands). Over time, that tension can manifest physically: poor sleep, chronic fatigue, weight changes, weakened immunity, and even cardiovascular strain. Psychologically, it can show up as anxiety, irritability, cognitive fog, or emotional exhaustion.

These are not just personal challenges; they ripple outward. When a team senses their leader is depleted, they may hold back, their energy may also dim, or they may shift into survival mode. Leadership health is not self-indulgence; it’s strategic.

But every leader does not bear this burden equally. Gender, race, and role shape how stress is experienced, expressed, and managed.

Intersectional Pressures: WOC, Men, and Shared Stress Realities

While every leader can (and should) guard their health, we must name how some stressors weigh heavier on certain groups, particularly women of color (WOC).

In 2025, an alarming labor market trend emerged: more than 300,000 Black women exited the workforce in a matter of months. This mass departure suggests more than job loss; it points to burnout, under-support, and structural disincentives that push people out of professional paths prematurely.

In parallel, the unemployment rate for Black women climbed from around 5.1% in March to 6.1% by June 2025. That’s not a random blip, it’s a signal that the system is failing them.

Men, too, face hidden stress realities. Because many social norms discourage men from naming exhaustion or vulnerability, stress may show up externally: irritability, overworking and withdrawal, being less supportive and more critical, or physical outbursts. These behaviors are often misread as personality rather than signals of mismanaged energy.

In my own life I’ve noticed a major way stress shows up is via what I call ‘The Dropsies’. The spilled coffee mug, dropped phone, broken dishes. Many times, I'm carrying too much literally and mentally. Those moments aren’t accidents; they are subtle alarms, nudging me to pause, reset, and realign.

Do you ever get The Dropsies?

Yes, I drop things all the time when I'm stressed!
No, stress shows up in other ways for me.

The takeaway: leadership health must be inclusive. We must fight for systems that ease burdens for WOC, men, caregivers, and leaders in all spaces of all backgrounds, so no one has to lead on empty.

Solutions That Work: Prioritizing Health as a Leadership Strategy

Reframe support as necessary, not optional
You may already have a coach for your body (fitness), your mind (therapist), or a spiritual guide (God, Allah, etc). Why not a professional coach — someone who helps you manage the internal demands of leadership? That coach helps you steward clarity, boundaries, and direction, not just deliverables.
Intentional energy management over just time management
Instead of attempting to “optimize hours,” focus on aligning tasks with your energy cycles. Place strategic work in your peak windows, and protect recovery in your low ones. That shift alone can boost quality, not just quantity.
Cultivate critical self-awareness & boundaries
Use frameworks like my SOS (Self, Others, Systems) one to inspect where your energy drains. Know when to step back, delegate, or say no, because fatigue is a warning sign. Holding habits beyond their usefulness harms both your body and your mission.
Embed restorative rituals into your day; not as afterthoughts but as anchors.
Rituals are small, repeated acts that tell your brain: this moment is sacred, this time is yours. Whether it’s 3 minutes of breathing, a stretching break, or a quick walk for fresh air, rituals activate rest and signal to your nervous system that you matter. (See “The Restorative Power of Ritual,” Harvard Business Review)
Build a lean support network
Surround yourself with peers, mentors, or an executive team who understand health as part of leadership. Let them act as guardrails, reminding you when you’re sprinting too long or veering off values.

Final Reflection: Lead From Fullness, Not Fragments

Leadership transformation doesn’t always require new titles or strategies. Sometimes it requires a softer pivot: leading differently from where you are so you don’t lose yourself. The healthiest version of leadership comes from within first; from a body, mind, and spirit nurtured, not depleted.

Ready to lead from fullness instead of fatigue? Let’s strategize your next steps - book a discovery call today! Mention this blog when booking and you will receive a special offer if you sign up for coaching!