In today’s fast-paced business world, many leaders grapple with an unrelenting cycle of demands, which often takes a significant toll on their well-being. Additionally, the weight of high-stakes decisions, relentless competition, and the constant need to manage and inspire teams can quickly lead to burnout, eroded mental health, and diminished productivity. Furthermore, in high-pressure office environments, where long hours and intense workloads are the norm, maintaining a healthy work-life balance becomes increasingly difficult. For entrepreneurs, executives, and professionals in Asia’s dynamic startup ecosystem, the challenge of balancing peak performance with personal wellness is not just a concern—it’s a growing priority for long-term success.
Consider the transformative potential of rooting leadership effectiveness and organizational success in something deeper—holistic well-being. Furthermore, Alex Loh, a seasoned executive coach and former national athlete, demonstrates how prioritizing wellness not only fosters resilience but also drives growth and enhances innovation. By drawing from his personal journey, which includes overcoming significant life challenges and leveraging his professional frameworks, Alex Loh provides a practical and compelling roadmap for leaders. Through his approach, leaders can learn to navigate high-pressure environments effectively while fostering a culture of well-being that empowers both individuals and teams to thrive sustainably.
Key Takeaways:
- Holistic well-being is essential for leadership success. Moreover, by embedding well-being into leadership practices, leaders can enhance resilience, foster growth, and drive long-term organizational success.
- Resilience builds a foundation for a growth mindset. Therefore, through persistence and adaptability, leaders can navigate challenges effectively, inspiring their teams to achieve sustainable outcomes.
- Daily habits strengthen leadership performance: by incorporating mindful practices such as early rising, balanced nutrition, and regular exercise, leaders can maintain high energy and mental clarity.
Highlights
Resilience: The Cornerstone of a Growth Mindset
Q: In your experience, how does prioritizing holistic well-being influence leadership effectiveness and organizational culture, especially in high-stress, high-stakes environments?
A: Having worked with clients from startups to SMEs to MNCs, I’ve found that there are 3 levels to culture building for prioritised wellbeing.
At the top of the organisation, it is the “why” of what the leaders of the organisation decide on and set as must-haves; in the middle, it is at the teams level on how initiatives are rolled out; and the last level is at the employee level where employees need to have that awareness on what and how they can manage their own wellbeing.
If holistic well-being is already part of organization policy by the leaders, then the contributing factors on the teams and employee level will fall easily in place. Consequently, that culture permeates into all areas of the organization and will allow for the correct communications and growth of the organization, teams, and employees.
Policy together with how leaders walk the talk set that culture of inclusivity where employees feel psychologically safe to prioritise their own wellbeing. When this perpetuates across the organisation and more stories and examples are being shared, focusing on wellbeing for productivity then becomes normalised.
The message must be that commercial topline revenue and profit are important for business growth and sustainability, but if wellbeing is not propritised or is compromised, then productivity and commercial outcomes could potentially be negatively affected.
Q: How does resilience actively foster a growth mindset in leaders and executives, and how can professionals develop it?
A: One of the key principles of the growth mindset is, therefore, being able to persist over a period of time on something that causes discomfort and is physically, emotionally, and mentally challenging to bear. Moreover, this persistence embodies the essence of being resilient and showing resilience.
When we adopt this mindset with everything we do, it allows us to persevere and not “throw in the towel” sooner than we need to. This can be applied to the work-professional setting where challenges are business, colleagues, project and task, or even skills specific.
When this resilience is played up not by one employee but by the team or entire organisation, you can achieve fantastic results with exponential outcomes.
Q: Having a background in competitive sports, what are some key lessons from athletic discipline and resilience that can be valuable for business leaders?
A: Having a game plan from preparation to conditioning to training to smaller milestone targets allow for business leaders to be more resilient but also being able to balance sustainability and performance.
My Corporate Athlete Mindset framework directly addresses the challenge that most business leaders face not just for themselves but also for their teams and top performers.
1. Habits
– What daily and weekly habits help with wellbeing and optimised performance?
– Nutrition, sleep/rest, exercise are crucial towards building that resilience
2. Play to your role
– Are you playing to your talents?
– How are you leveraging each other within the team (eg. a pass to score a goal vs scoring the goal yourself)?
3. Purpose (Big Picture)
– Who do you play for?
– Why do you play?
– Does the bigger picture align with your role?
4. Betterment
– Everyday better
– Better can be a feeling and not necessarily a number
Q: Preventive health is often overlooked in corporate wellness programs. Therefore, what preventive health strategies do you believe should be at the core of corporate well-being, and how can they, in turn, contribute to long-term productivity and innovation?
A: Creating greater awareness on establishing positive lifestyle habits on all pillars of holistic wellbeing. Therefore, my 9-pillars of wellbeing are:
1. Spiritual
2. Financial
3. Career
4. Mental
5. Emotional
6. Physical
7. Intellectual
8. Social
9. Environmental
Q: Given the pressures of modern leadership, what are the key habits or ‘everyday athlete’ practices you recommend for executives aiming to sustain high energy levels and mental clarity throughout their careers?
1. Wake early to get work done.
2. 20mins of morning sun (bonus if you’re working out as well).
3. Mindful eating (2 meals a day) with no sweetened beverages and ultra-processed food.
4. Nature walks daily (or every other day), with focus on belly and nose breathing.
Thriving in Leadership: The Journey Starts with Well-Being
Leadership in today’s fast-paced, high-stakes environment demands more than just technical expertise or a sharp strategic mind—it requires a commitment to holistic well-being and balance. Alex Loh’s insights serve as a powerful reminder that sustainable success comes from aligning personal wellness with professional goals. By prioritizing well-being at all levels, leaders not only enhance their own resilience and clarity but also foster an organizational culture where teams feel supported and empowered to thrive.
Balancing well-being with work is not just a luxury; instead, it’s a necessity for long-term productivity and innovation. Moreover, leaders who take the time to build habits that nurture their physical, mental, and emotional health set an example for their teams, creating a ripple effect of positivity and engagement across the organization.
Alex Loh’s experiences, from overcoming personal struggles to excelling in competitive sports, highlight the transformative impact of integrating well-being into both personal and professional spheres. Furthermore, as you reflect on your leadership journey, ask yourself: How can you better align well-being with your vision for success? The answer lies in taking small, deliberate steps today that pave the way for a healthier, more balanced, and fulfilling future.
Highlights
Read this article in Chinese here.
