Want more productive employees? Prioritize health

What if I told you the most untapped resource in your business isn’t capital, technology, or even strategy—it’s the energy, health, and vitality of your people?

You’re a driven, ambitious leader competing in a fast-paced, highly competitive market. As a leader, you are constantly searching for ways to maximize your own productivity and the productivity of your team. You need a competitive edge. But here is the truth: you won’t achieve peak performance with software updates, integrating AI, or more strategic meetings. Great leaders know that their success depends on the well-being of their team. A stressed, sleep-deprived workforce running on caffeine fumes can’t operate at full capacity in the short term and will burn out in the long term.

But what happens when you fuel your team with health, vitality and purpose? That’s when you’ll unlock your potential, achieve geometric growth and experience joy in your work.

This isn’t just about wellness perks or yoga in the break room—this is about building a thriving workforce that’s energized, resilient and ready to execute at the highest level. When employees feel good, they perform better. Their focus sharpens. Their creativity ignites. They move faster, think clearly, and connect more deeply with the mission. And that doesn’t just boost productivity—it transforms your entire organization.

Let’s dive into how investing in your team’s health isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity for elite-level success.

Health is wealth

Health is the foundation for everything else. It gives us the energy and mental clarity to live an extraordinary life. But so many of us neglect our health, thinking we can postpone taking care of ourselves in the short term to achieve our goals. We think we will have the time to exercise, eat healthy and sleep more once we reach our next business milestone. This is a false narrative.

Without health, you and your employees will have a difficult time finding success in any aspect of your life. Health impacts your relationships, your ability to work, your emotions and your decision-making. That’s because your mind and body are deeply interconnected. Your physiology strongly influences your psychological and emotional well-being.

Instead, think of taking care of your health and the health of your team as an essential investment that will pay off in big ways in the long term.

Model successful leaders

If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and model what they do, and you'll achieve the same results.

Successful leaders and companies understand that the well-being of their employees is their most valuable asset, and they prioritize it accordingly.

Salesforce has embedded well-being into its company culture through its “Thrive” program. The company reimburses employees for gym memberships, meditation apps, or cooking classes. Salesforce offers programs to help its workforce build mental resilience and manage stress and anxiety. It knows that supporting its employees with science-based tools and resources for physical and mental health will ultimately boost its bottom line.

Patagonia supports its employees with on-site childcare, subsidized organic meals, exercise facilities and time to spend in the outdoors. Patagonia’s focus on the overall well-being of their employees has created a raving fan company culture where their team members are passionate, engaged and loyal.

Investing in the well-being of your employees is more than just a feel-good idea; it is an investment in your business's long-term growth and success.

Combatting stress and burnout

In today’s world, even the most capable and driven leaders and team members are feeling burned out. Increasing competition, unstable markets, and a desire to get more out of life have created an uncertain and unsatisfied workforce. Employees are still coming to work but are just doing the bare minimum required to keep their jobs.

This growing trend even has a name—quiet quitting.

Prioritizing your team’s health doesn’t end at their physical well-being. Mindset and psychology are just as, if not more, important. The good news is that there is an antidote to this pandemic of quiet quitting. The answer to disengagement at work is purpose.

Companies with a thriving, engaged workforce look beyond the spreadsheets and profit margins and focus on serving something greater than themselves. When the focus is on impact rather than revenue, your employees will collaborate, find creative solutions to problems and put in the work to build a successful company.

When business and impact are interwoven, we feel whole.

Fostering connection

At the core of what makes us human is our desire to contribute and have an impact on the world. It’s in our DNA. We are wired for connection. Connection—with our teammates, with clients, with our communities—that is what makes our work and life meaningful.

Not every company can bring fresh water to Africa or alleviate poverty in their communities. However, every company can have a positive and meaningful impact.

Business is a spiritual game

…not in a woo-woo way, but in the sense that a business and its employees thrive when it leans into connection and purpose.

What does this look like for your company? Can you build a work environment that fosters connection and growth where your employees feel seen and empowered? Can you connect with your clients in a more intentional way and meet their needs better than anyone else? Can you make giving and charitable contributions a core part of your business identity?

The truth is, you can be wildly profitable and still serve others. In fact, making service and purpose an integral part of your company will fuel engagement, loyalty and innovation. It’s not that you can be profitable and serve others; you will be profitable because you prioritize human connection and service.

Leadership is an inside-out job

To create a thriving workplace with healthy, engaged employees, you must start with yourself. True leadership doesn’t dictate, it influences, and one of the most effective forms of influence is to lead by example.

If you prioritize exercise, healthy eating, and reasonable work hours, you give your team permission to do the same.

In the same way, when you lead from the heart, you’ll shape your company culture in powerful ways. When you are feeling tired and burned out, instead of shying away, lean into connection.

Figure out your company’s purpose, and rally your team behind that vision. Empower your employees to make a difference—you’ll be blown away by what they can do when they are fueled by a purpose and are given the opportunity to use their talents.

Take charge of your own health and happiness, and watch your influence flow down. When your team is energized and fulfilled, magic will happen.

Tools for improving health and leadership

Implementing real, meaningful change can alter the trajectory of your company and lead to massive growth. But change is hard. Having a partner or a coach makes it easier. In fact, committing publicly to a goal and having a partner who keeps you accountable increases your chances of success exponentially.

This is where a coach or a mentor can be an invaluable tool in helping you make changes in your own life or helping you improve your leadership skills. A health or vitality coach will work with you to set goals and make lasting changes in your life so that you feel better, have more energy, think more clearly and can bring your best self to the job.

Or maybe you want to invest in coaching for leadership development. A leadership coach will help you identify your company’s purpose and work with you to develop the leadership skills to unite your team behind that vision. You will learn how to influence your team and bring out the best in your employees. With the help of a coach, you can be the kind of leader that infuses your company with vision and purpose, fueling efficiency and innovation, and creating a company that thrives.