Leadership, Well-Being, and the Power of the Natural World

What if you learned that team members who are frequently exposed to a common ingredient display greater vitality and willpower, are less stressed and depressed, have a greater desire to be compassionate and supportive of others, achieve a higher mental clarity, and become more energized both cognitively and emotionally when working. 

A litany of research supports the idea that when workers are frequently connected to nature and the natural world, they enjoy a host of benefits that enhance their well-being. 

Humans evolved in close connection to nature, and the desire to connect with the natural world exists in nearly everyone. Leaders and workplaces that create opportunities for team members to commune with nature help to energize their workforce and diminish the burnout commonly experienced by team members in fast-paced organizations. 

Good leaders understand the power of nature and encourage team members to spend as much time outdoors as possible. They often hold meetings and off-sites in close proximity to natural wonders so that team members can avail themselves of nature between sessions. 

They commonly reward team members with ski passes, rafting trips, biking and hiking excursions, surfing lessons, gardening demonstrations, and lakeside sports. They gather team members together in natural settings and make it a point to encourage stargazing, fishing, kayaking, camping, and park exploration. 

They know that the more time people spend outdoors and in nature, the healthier they become psychologically. Contact with nature recharges people and promotes a sense of connection to the larger world. 

The benefits are so enormous that many leaders bring the outdoors inside. In what is known as biophilic design, some enterprises work hard to bring natural elements indoors through rooftop terraces, living walls (where plants grow and spread down a surface), video screens depicting waterfalls and forests, and outdoor patios where people can congregate and enjoy the outdoor world between meetings. 

Given that people spend more than 90 percent of their time indoors, the more leaders push people to the outdoors, the better. How much nature is your team exposed to? In the presence of nature, the human spirit is fed and nurtured. 

Consider building in more exposure to the outdoors for your team. You might find it energizes everyone.