It was after I got in to my first job that I felt the need to do something beyond my regular course of work  that will give me the energy and motivation to keep going for years. I knew that going out to play games will be a challenge so I must pick up something that can be done at my own free time and Gym was one of the options. When I started gyming,  I realized that it’s a perfect training ground to learn great leadership lessons and very soon, my workout and trainer became my management coach, unbeknownst to him. The following are some key lessons from the gym that leader can use while managing the team and organization.

The very first question that my trainer asked me is ‘What do you want to achieve from your workout? ‘Our motivation determines our ability to keep going to the gym and doing our workout and follows our exercise routine to reach our goals.’ The lesson I learnt is we need to be clear on what wants to be achieved. Leader needs Decisive focus on what will help us achieve our goal or objective. 

Very soon I realized it’s not easy to carry on gyming let leave alone follow the workout plan but I was determined not to give up and to make sure it becomes a habit – a part of my life. Soon came a day when missing a day at gym will make me very uncomfortable as much as like failing to brush my teeth. This consistency and never give up attitude led to many long term benefits that are associated with gyming. Leaders need to know Consistency and perseverance and    that will produce success in the long run.

As I became regular at the gym, I realized that I need to follow a time table for all my days activity so as to enable me to go to gym regularly. This in turn made me more on how I spend time and set my priorities. I started making smart choice on food, time and entertainment options. So gyming helped me manage my time and value it as a resource and made me conscious about my  time. Leaders must manage time and use it for the constructive and developmental purpose that is  needed to plan their day.

As I did cardio exercises that burnt fat ,I was fitter than before and I am now happier as I could run with my mind and body in tandrum. We must work from our heart and reach out to the hearts of the teammates, appeal to their passion, get them to see the big picture. The right bonding will give the energy to business and help our team to strive for excellence during all times. 

Gyming also taught me that it’s important to pay attention to what the trainer is trying to train us to take his help. One of Leadership qualities is be a constant learner. Take help from our mentor and encourage the team to constantly keep learning. It is this learning that will take us forward and it will ensure that we don’t fall behind in ever competitive world. Knowledge is key to growth, innovation and creativity and help drive quality.

As I became regular at the gym , I also realized it’s always good to play few other games and do cross training that will help me enhance my fitness level. It will also give me exposure to various tactics of those sports and most important, new network and new sporting skills. Leaders must enhance their scope of expertise and expose them to different culture, technology, process and markets. This helps in boarding our vision and expertise.       

Gyming taught me that  life is about ups and downs. At times we succeed in no time and on certain occasions it takes a long time to get the desired outcome- we should be able to cope with both. We should never get carried away by success or get disappointed with failure. We should retrospect why we fail and learn from failure just as we should analyse factors that gave success. Success and failure are both essential part of our life and necessary for our development.

As Gyming became a habit ,I realized to focus on quality of life. The aim was to make quality of my personal and professional life better in the long run with better executive presence,  more confidence and cheerful demeanor. This had a positive impact on my interpersonal relations.Leader should have self-discipline that will help him to become disciplined in financial, Quality and Human Resource for growing Business.

One of the things I observed in gym is some people do start coming to gym and they expect result almost overnight which is unlikely to happen so they get disappointed. Some of them blame the trainer or they stop coming to gym. Few even say that gyming is waste of time. Leader should not be unrealistic. He should be patient and should be balanced. He should take responsibility for his actions and care for people. 

I have also noticed some people who come to gym and rather than focusing on the workout are more glued to the mirror on the wall , Gym taught me that people should focus on substance – originality of thought , ideas and strength rather than blindly ape someone. We all have talent and we should be proud of it instead of cribbing for what we don’t have. A leader should not be self-obsessed and self-centric rather open and people oriented. 

My Father was an Indian Air Force Veteran and use to be fond of various sports, As a young boy, I was fortunate enough to be taught that it’s important to be as good in sports as in studies.  Both individual sports and team games are critical part of our self-development and for enhancing our social intelligence quotient. Through such activities our youth will be able enhance their level of confidence and Emotional Intelligence. Sporting activity is essential part of life. For results at gym our body and mind needs to be in sync for success in whatever we do in our life. Life is a marathon and we should be prepared to play a long innings and for that to happen we must pay attention to the state of our mind and body to develop our leadership skills.