Leadership for Saints: Part 59

Personal Balance:
Your “Being” vs. Your “Doing”
by Rodger Dean Duncan and Ed J. Pinegar

Great leaders invest enormous amounts of energy in behalf of the people they serve. They don’t pamper or indulge them, they lead them. They challenge them. They provide vision and focus. They listen with love and empathy. They teach and nurture, coach and correct. They oversee the big picture and they note the details.

When it’s managed well, all this can be exhilarating. Or, as it was for the Church worker quoted earlier, it can drag you into “a chronic state of overwhelm.” 

While it’s certainly true that the requirements of effective leadership are demanding, our service in the kingdom should feel like a blessing, not a burden. It should build us up, not wear us out. The key, in a word, is balance.

In this context, balance is about renewal. It’s about refreshment. It’s about tending to your own needs so you’re better equipped in tending to the needs of others.

As a leader, you constantly seek for results. To get results, you need resources. The Lord Himself, is your primary resource. It’s important that you do everything possible to preserve and enhance that resource.

Some leaders regard taking time for themselves as selfish or even unrighteous. Other would-be leaders are so self-indulgent that they seem to regard stewardship as an intrusion on their leisure pursuits. Neither extreme is appropriate. That’s why we’re talking about balance.

Replenishing or renewing your own resources is a critical part of your leadership work. In this chapter we’ll address four primary dimensions of renewal: the Physical dimension, the Mental dimension, the Spiritual dimension, and the Social/Emotional dimension.

The most effective people we know are effective because they understand the law of he harvest. They deliberately and consistently pay the price of personal balance. They avoid the common trap of claiming they “don’t have time” for the things that boost their capacity. They understand the great value of making time for activities that are important though not urgent (see earlier parts on Planning the Work, Working the Plan). They understand that for it to benefit them over the long haul, personal renewal must become a second nature choice. It must become an ingrained habit. They understand that personal balance is an investment that pays huge dividends. They understand that while the work they accomplish is an important measure of their leadership, their “doing” is always fueled by their “being.”

The Physical Dimension

As the words imply, the physical dimension is about caring for your physical body. It’s about eating the kinds of foods that promote good health and vitality. It’s about getting sufficient rest and relaxation. It’s about regular exercise that’s appropriate for your age and circumstances.

Have you noticed that people who enjoy good physical health seem to be more upbeat and optimistic than others? That’s because there’s such a close correlation between the condition of the body and the condition of the spirit.

The Word of Wisdom, the Lord’s most noted revelation regarding our physical health, is a “principle with promise.” The Lord assures us that “all saints who remember to keep and do these commandments [regarding physical health] . . . shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones . . . and shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.” (See D&C 89.) Scores of studies from the scientific community show what Church members already know: Latter-day Saints enjoy a disproportionately higher level of health than the general population.

This is not to say that faithful Latter-day Saints do not get tired. Busy people are certain to get tired. The point is that good physical health enables us to bounce back quickly so we can continue to shoulder the load of service and be alert to the blessings the Lord has in store for us.

The diet we eat should be sensible, grounded in good doctrine and good science. Grains, vegetables, fruits, fish, poultry and a moderate amount of dairy products and red meat works well for most people. And plenty of water. The diets of many people, especially those who carry more pounds than they would like, is often too heavy with carbohydrates and sugars. Consult a good physician and consult with the Lord, and you’ll know what’s best. The rest is up to you.

Physical exercise is where many people falter, especially as they get busy with other things. Many people believe they don’t have time to exercise.

The truth is, they don’t have time not to.  Most experts agree that exercising three to six hours a week—or a minimum of about an hour every other day—can bring great benefits. We’re not talking about merely speeding up your use of the TV remote. We’re talking about some form of exercise that uses all your muscle groups and significantly increases your heart rate.

Again, you should consult with a good physician before starting any regular exercise regimen. People of all ages should consider the value of regular physical exercise. President Gordon B. Hinckley, well into his tenth decade as this book is written, walks on an electric treadmill every day, lifts light weights, and regularly does a series of stretching exercises. His level of vitality is a marvel, and it’s no accident.

Good habits of physical exercise do not require special equipment. Brisk walking is available to almost anyone. Simple push-up exercises between two sturdy chairs can be great for upper body muscle tone. One general authority we know travels with a piece of surgical tubing. He uses it to do a range of exercises designed to maintain his strength and flexibility.

The idea is to be imaginative, to tailor your exercise to your circumstances – and to do it regularly. Regular exercise increases your endurance, it increases your flexibility, it boosts your strength, and it tends to improve the quality of your sleep. Good dietary habits, combined with sensible exercise and rest, are the keys to good physical health.

Great leaders take this very seriously.

Quotes Worth Remembering

Wise shepherds recognize the need for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual renewal. . . . From that renewal, positive change will flow. – Alexander B. Morrison

Today, many are becoming extremists and are losing balance and effectiveness and are missing the results which they would desire to attain. Wouldn't they be far better off to align themselves with the constructive forces and attempt a slower, more peaceful way to reach the same ends? – Spencer W. Kimball

There are basic rules of physical health that have to do with rest, nourishment, exercise, and with abstaining from those things which damage the body. – Boyd K. Packer

Exercise is an important part of our day, and the time spent in it will pay dividends. – Joseph B. Wirthlin

Note: The excerpts of Leadership for Saints posted on Meridian are only a fraction of the contents of this 349-page book. To learn more about this ground-breaking book and to order copies, click here.