Embracing the Corporate Athlete Mindset in 2025
Are you mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually ready to lead at your best?
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As we step into 2025, many high-performing leaders begin to focus on goal-setting for the year ahead. It's a familiar process - strategising for success, aligning the team, and identifying outcomes.
But when was the last time you reflected on how you’ll sustain your performance, not just what you’ll achieve?
Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz's concept of the "Corporate Athlete" underscores that peak performance requires balance across four dimensions: mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. Not just for athletes, but for business leaders too.
Source: The Making of a Corporate Athlete
These elements form the foundation for sustained high performance, though their importance and to what degree you need to focus on them, will likely shift throughout the year.
For example, you might start the year strong with physical fitness, only to find that work pressures pull your focus away. Or you may excel at creating more headspace and thinking time, but struggle with maintaining energy and resilience during challenging moments. This fluidity is normal - in fact it’s part of being human.
The key is not being a perfect athlete year round, instead it is about intentionality and awareness - and taking ownership of how you care for yourself ensures you are modelling the habits you wish to see in your team.
Below you’ll find four sets of prompt questions to help you strengthen the four key dimensions that can help you become more balanced in 2025.
If you’re ready to start training, read on:
Strengthening your mental, physical, emotional & spiritual self:
Below are four sets of questions to help you reflect on each of the four dimensions of corporate athleticism as you step into the new year. Use these prompts to explore your experiences, evaluate your current state, identify blockers, and set intentional habits for growth:
Mental: Cultivating Focus and Clarity
Looking Back: When did you feel most mentally sharp and focused in 2024, and what contributed to that?
Rate It: On a scale of 1–10, how well do you typically sustain mental clarity and focus in your leadership? If you rate yourself a 6, what would moving to a 7 look like? Perhaps improving how you manage distractions, dedicating a specific time for deep work, or limiting unnecessary meetings.
Hindering Habits: What two habits or behaviours tend to detract from your mental focus?
New Habit to Build: What one new habit could you experiment with to enhance your mental sharpness?
Emotional: Building Awareness and Connection
Looking Back: Reflect on a moment this year when you connected deeply with someone who you work with. What made it impactful?
Rate It: On a scale of 1–10, how well do you maintain emotional awareness and connection in your leadership? How much do you prioritise relationships over results?
Hindering Habits: What hinders your ability to prioritise emotions and feelings in work?
New Habit to Build: What one small effort could you focus on to strengthen emotional connection?
Physical: Sustaining Energy and Stamina
Looking Back: When were you at your physical best this year - and how did that affect your work and leadership?
Rate It: On a scale of 1–10, how consistently do you maintain physical energy and health? If you rate yourself a 5, what might a 7 involve? Could it be committing to a daily walk, better hydration, or ensuring you take a proper lunch break instead of eating at your desk?
Hindering Habits: What patterns of behaviour reduce your physical energy (e.g, skipping meals, inconsistent sleep)?
New Habit to Build: What one thing could you introduce to boost physical health?
Spiritual: Aligning with Values and Purpose
Looking Back: What was one moment in 2024 when your actions aligned most closely with your personal values?
Rate It: On a scale of 1–10, how often do you feel aligned with your values and purpose in your work? If you’re a 7, what would make you an 8?
Hindering Habits: What pulls you away from feeling deeply aligned with what you truly value?
New Habit to Build: What one change could help you stay connected?
Finally…
Reflect on how you’re balancing these four dimensions and prioritising your growth as a leader. As you refine these habits, ask yourself:
What would make this a breakthrough year for you as a leader?
How will your choices impact your team and organisation?
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