Are You Fit to Lead?

The question posed in the title of this post is one that I’ve heard asked a lot over the years. Usually, it refers to someone having the right mix of temperament, ethics, experience and the like that’s needed to be an effective leader.

My guest in the podcast interview that accompanies this post would likely ask the question from a different perspective. Carol Himmelhoch is a professor of leadership at Siena Heights University and she’s recently published a monograph titled Transformational Leadership and High-Intensity Interval Training. If you’re familiar with CrossFit, you know what high-intensity interval training (HITT) is. Himmelhoch is a HITT devotee herself and started wondering about the connection between her avocation and vocation. She decided to explore whether or not physical fitness has an impact on leadership effectiveness.

Her research leads her to believe there is a connection. We recently had an interesting conversation about her work, which you can listen to here. Give it a listen and let me know what you think.

Does the path to more effective leadership run through the gym or the CrossFit box?

(Image via wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock.com)