Your body is sabotaging your leadership (and your coach can't see it)

Sometimes what looks like a leadership problem has a physical cause. When that seems possible, I suggest seeing your own doctor.

Leaders with a relentless work ethic often push their bodies hard, reading important physical signals as mere stress or a need for more grit. They look for help with their thinking when part of the answer lies in their body.

Physical health and leadership

Your brain is not separate from your body. It is a physical organ, sensitive to the state of the body around it. When your physical health is compromised, your thinking and emotional regulation are among the first casualties.

1. The prefrontal cortex under strain: The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is the CEO of your brain. It governs executive functions like strategic planning, decision-making, problem-solving and emotional regulation. It uses a great deal of energy, and it is vulnerable to physiological stress. When sleep is poor night after night, or stress hormones like cortisol stay high, PFC function suffers. You become more impulsive, less strategic and more emotionally reactive. Your ability to think clearly under pressure suffers too.

2. The body's chemistry: Hormones are the body's chemical messengers, and they have a powerful influence on your brain. Changes in hormones can show up as "brain fog", low mood and fatigue. Imbalances in cortisol, the primary stress hormone, can disrupt sleep, affect memory and lead to anxiety. For many executives, chronic stress means living in constant "fight or flight", with raised cortisol that wears down thinking over time.

3. The gut-brain axis: The gut is often called the "second brain". There is growing evidence linking gut health, inflammation and mood. The food you eat and the health of your microbiome are part of that picture.

The blind spot of traditional coaching

Traditional executive coaching is a valuable tool for leadership development. It helps leaders gain self-awareness, refine their skills and navigate complex organisational dynamics. But it has a blind spot: it rarely considers the leader's physiology.

A coach might see a leader's irritability and recommend emotional regulation techniques. They might see a lack of focus and suggest time management strategies. But if the irritability comes from a hormonal imbalance, or the lack of focus from chronic sleep deprivation, these interventions will only ever be a temporary fix. Part of the problem is being left untouched.

This is where being both a doctor and a coach matters. In coaching, I work with how a leader thinks and behaves. I do not diagnose or treat anyone through coaching. As a doctor, I understand how the body affects the mind, and I will suggest you see your own doctor when that is needed.

Practical takeaways for leaders

1. Honour your body: Stop thinking of your body as just a vehicle for your brain. Your physical health is the foundation of your thinking and your emotional resilience. Prioritise sleep, nutrition and exercise with the same discipline you apply to your business strategy. Self-care is not an indulgence; sustained performance depends on it.
2. Listen to the whispers: Your body communicates through subtle signals. Don't dismiss persistent fatigue, brain fog, mood swings or poor sleep as just "the cost of doing business". These are whispers that something is amiss. Pay attention to them before they become a roar.
3. See your own doctor: If you're struggling with your performance, don't just assume it's a mindset issue. Consider a thorough health check with your own doctor, and tell them honestly about your sleep, your energy and your mood.

Dr Hercules Kollias is a medical doctor and surgical assistant in Brisbane. He studied neuroscience and psychology and has spent over 20 years coaching leaders, teams and doctors.