What Does the Body Have to Do with Leadership?

I believe the easiest and most transformative approach to cultivating leadership can be found through your body.

There’s a two-way connection between the body and brain.

When you shift your body, your brain changes.

You can experiment with shifting your posture as you’re reading this and notice how your thoughts and moods change too. Likewise, your body responds to your thoughts and feelings via the nervous system.

This interconnectedness means that you can alter your brain, your emotional states, and your presence – all fundamental aspects of leadership – by changing your body.

You’ve also heard the advice to trust your gut.

The enteric nervous system in your digestive system, known as the second brain, has 500 million neurons.

This neural activity provides scientific evidence as to why you feel those butterflies or that pit in your stomach. These sensations arise from the neurons in your second brain and are worth listening to.

The gut is just one of many places in your body that holds wisdom. This wisdom is important for leaders to connect to their inner truth and from there, lead from a place of being centered, authentic, and insightful.

If you’d like to expand your presence and impact as a leader, explore the role of your body in the context of leadership. Stay tuned for upcoming posts exploring this topic in more detail.

In the meantime, here are a few suggestions to start experimenting with this body-based or somatic approach to leadership:

·      Cultivate a daily 10-minute Embodied Mindfulness Practice

·      Schedule a bodywork session such as Craniosacral Therapy

·      Get personalized guidance with Somatic Leadership Coaching focused on embodied leadership