Health is in all our minds these days — and also a leadership task.

I came across this topic in the recently published study Healthy Leadership in Turbulent Times concluding that the positive relationship between health-oriented leadership and employee health is even stronger during crises.

So, what can leaders do?

Main Point #1: Become aware!

You can make an impact on the health your employees.

There are actually four ways: 1) directly through your behavior, 2) indirectly through work design, 3) as a role model for others, and 4) through cross-over effects of your own health state.

Main Point #2: Pay attention!

Watch out for warning signals.

Stay in a close connection with your employees — even more so during crises. Always pay attention to social withdrawal, complaints or increasing amounts of mistakes.

Main Point #3: Discuss health!

Communicating will help.

Here are some options: Make health a topic in your team; optimize job design ongoing; launch an occupational health program.

Main Point #4: Get yourself into flow!

Employees will feel it.

Flow defines the sweet spot between being overwhelmed and bored. Difficult to achieve in a crisis? Not necessarily, as you can train this state physically and mentally anytime by following the traits of curiosity, persistence, focus on intrinsic motivation, and reducing the ego.

Main Point #5: Exercise in fresh air!

Connect with nature.

Go on a walk during your next one-on-one. Ride to work on a bike. Develop a running routine. Follow Haruki Murakami who often speaks of the flow he achieves by not only training his physical muscles every day while running, but also his mental muscles while writing.

I hope you keep health up in your teams with these points in mind.

All the best for your leadership journey!