New research suggests that a few extra kilos or a slightly larger waistline affects an executive's perceived leadership ability as well as stamina on the job.
Leadership experts and executive recruiters say that staying trim is now virtually required for anyone on track for senior leader roles. "Because the demands of leadership can be quite strenuous, the physical aspects are just as important as everything else," says Sharon McDowell-Larsen, an exercise physiologist who runs an executive-fitness program for the non-profit Center for Creative Leadership.
Executives with larger waistlines and higher body-mass-index (BMI) readings tend to be perceived as less effective in the workplace, both in performance and interpersonal relationships, according to data compiled by CCL. BMI, a common measure of body fat, is based on height and weight.
While weight remains a taboo conversation topic in many workplaces, it's hard to overlook. A heavy executive is judged to be less capable because of assumptions about how weight affects health and stamina, says Barry Posner, a leadership professor at Santa Clara University's Leavey School of Business. He says he can't name a single overweight Fortune 500 CEO. "We have stereotypes about fat," he adds, "so when we see a senior executive who's overweight, our initial reaction isn't positive."
A pair of university researchers, using data from 757 executives measured between 2006 and 2010, found that weight may indeed influence perceptions of leaders among subordinates, peers and superiors. The senior leaders and business owners of today are also more visible than their forebears and must be camera-ready at a moment's notice, composed while courting investors and ready to respond in a company emergency.
In general, the executives in the Center for Creative Leadership study were healthier than average. They drank and smoked less and were more likely to exercise regularly. About half were considered overweight or obese, defined as having a BMI of more than 25.
The sample's leaner executives, defined as having a BMI under 25, were viewed more favourably by peers, averaging 3.92 for task performance on a five-point scale; heavier leaders averaged 3.85. Similarly, members of the leaner group rated higher on interpersonal skills.
With greater transparency in business, there's no place to hide.
Now that everything from retirement perks to personal emails are circulated on the web, being a senior leader can feel like running naked. In today's wired world, how you treat workers and the planet can quickly come back to haunt you in a blog or I-hate-your-company web site. And a new breed of business owners and executives has started to talk more about the concerns of "stakeholders" who feel the impact of a business, instead of just shareholders....which is refreshing, isn't it.
A study in the Harvard Business Review found that people tend to choose work partners based on likeability. Professor Kim S. Cameron at the University of Michigan's Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship also cites studies showing that likeable people - those at the hub of what he calls "positive energy networks" - are four times more potent on the job than those who have influential jobs but are less popular.
Sources: The Wall Street Journal, January 16, 2013 and BusinessWeek, June 26, 2006
Business Tips
Leaders, Being Fit Matters
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- Category: Leadership
