How You Play a Role in Your Team’s Health
To have a healthy team, you must have healthy team members. And we’re not just talking about physical health because health encompasses far more than that. A team’s overall health is dependent upon the people that form the team—because each person is responsible for how they show up to work. And a healthy person leads themself well despite the inevitable challenges that life and leadership throw their way.
And this is why, at Building Champions, we say that self-leadership precedes team effectiveness—because to lead yourself well, you must be aware of how your inner thoughts drive your outer behaviors. In this article, we discuss how an individual contributes to a team’s health and why it’s vital to maintain a healthy well-being, take accountability for your actions, and work on your mindset.
Why Self-Leadership Precedes Team Effectiveness
As a member of a team, you play a unique role. Not only do you have a certain set of tasks to accomplish, but you also have influence over your team’s culture. We all impact one another—whether we realize it or not. So, when you’re leading yourself well and those you work with are doing the same, your team will be healthy. And a healthy team functions at a high level which makes it both effective and productive. Plus, a healthy team is just plain fun to be a part of—because when you’re engaged in your work and showing up as your best self, you’ll be more inspired and creative (and likely happier outside of work too).
3 Areas to Work on to be a Healthy Team Member
Well-being. At Building Champions, we consider well-being to include four key areas: physical, mental, social, and spiritual. To be at your best, you must consider how you’re doing in all four areas. Physical health entails prioritizing both exercise and nutrition. And that doesn’t mean that you need to run marathons or follow a super strict diet, but it does mean that you’re aware of what your body needs. It means that you understand how your activity and food choices impact your physical well-being both positively and negatively. And to have a healthy mental well-being, you regularly engage your EQ (emotional intelligence). You put the work in to understand yourself, your emotional triggers, and your response to stressors so that you can regulate your emotions. Social well-being looks different for people based upon their personality traits, but it always includes relationships. It’s important to consider the health of your relationships and the role you play in them. And if you need more social interaction in your life, then take steps to find those opportunities for the health of your social well-being. Lastly, we consider spiritual well-being to be a vital part of the overall health of your well-being. It doesn’t only reference a faith or belief system, but it extends to a sense of purpose in your life and leadership. If you’re aware of your health in all four of these areas, you’ll likely be showing up well both at work and at home.
Accountability. You’re not solely accountable to your manager. If you’re on a team, then you’re accountable to your teammates too. And if you’re on a cross-functional team, then you’re accountable to teammates in other departments as well. But ultimately, you’re accountable to yourself. To practice self-leadership, you must be a person who people can rely on. You should be responsive, communicative, and meet your deadlines. If you’re going to miss a deadline, then you need to communicate in advance to those impacted by your delay. You show respect to others by honoring your commitments—because you play a part in your team’s health and maintaining healthy accountability to those you work with shows them respect and care. And a team made up of people showing respect and care for one another is a team who gets stuff done and has fun doing it.
Mindset. Our thoughts drive our actions. That’s why it’s so important to understand any untrue narratives that parade throughout your mindset. To show up healthy, you must be healthy in your thinking. When things go wrong, what thoughts fill your mind? Are they helpful? Are they true? It’s important to understand your underlying thought patterns so that you can get your thinking in a positive place. And when you lead from a mindset focused on truth, possibilities, and positivity, your actions will show it. Your mindset will impact your behaviors—which impacts the overall health of your team.
It's a privilege to work on a team. And when you understand how powerful your impact can be, it’s inspiring to make that impact a positive one. That’s why we love working with teams and we always address the importance of self-leadership first. So, if you’d like to learn more about how we can help your team grow in health, then reach out. We’re excited to help your team become the best they can be!
