The $300K Wake-Up Call: Why Executive Success Starts with Wellbeing
I remember the moment clearly. Sitting at my desk, managing global teams across three continents, making well over $300K—and my body was screaming for change. On paper, I had achieved everything society deems successful. In reality, I was discovering the hidden cost of "making it."
Here's what most executive advice gets wrong: it focuses solely on external metrics while ignoring the internal infrastructure that makes sustainable success possible.
The Success Paradox
Traditional success metrics—revenue targets, team size, market share—tell only half the story. What they don't measure is the toll on your nervous system, the strain on your relationships, or the disconnection from your deeper purpose. These hidden costs compound silently until they demand attention, often through our bodies first.
In my case, success looked like a calendar packed with back-to-back meetings spanning multiple time zones, quick lunch breaks eaten at my desk while reviewing quarterly projections, and congratulatory emails about exceeding targets that I was too exhausted to celebrate. The metrics showed growth, but my body was telling a different story through chronic headaches, disrupted sleep, and a constant sense of being on edge.
The real irony? The more "successful" I became, the less I could enjoy that success. My achievements were piling up, but my capacity to appreciate them was diminishing. This is the paradox that many executives face – the very drive that propels us to success can also undermine our ability to sustain and savor it.
My wake-up call came during a global team meeting. As I led my fourteenth Zoom call of the day, my hands shaking slightly as I reached for my third cup of coffee, I realized something profound: my body had been sending warning signals for months, but my "success mindset" had trained me to ignore them.
The Real Currency of Success: Energy
What I've learned since then, after working with hundreds of executives through transformation, is that sustainable success operates on a different currency: energy. Not the kind you get from caffeine or adrenaline, but deep, renewable energy that comes from:
Aligning your work with your natural rhythms
Creating boundaries that honor your wellbeing
Building recovery into your success strategy
Leading from a place of wholeness, not depletion
The Neuroscience of Sustainable Leadership
Modern neuroscience confirms what many executives learn the hard way: chronic stress literally rewires our brains, affecting our:
Decision-making capacity
Emotional regulation
Creative thinking
Leadership presence
When we operate in constant fight-or-flight mode, we're not just compromising our health—we're limiting our leadership potential.
The New Executive Playbook
Through my journey and work with other leaders, I've developed a different approach to executive success:
Energy Auditing: Regular check-ins with your body's signals and stress responses
Recovery Integration: Building strategic renewal into your daily schedule
Boundary Architecture: Creating systems that protect your wellbeing
Purpose Alignment: Ensuring your work serves your larger life vision
Making the Shift
The transition from traditional success to sustainable success isn't always smooth. When I first began prioritizing wellbeing, I faced considerable resistance – both internal and external. My inner achiever worried that slowing down meant falling behind. My colleagues questioned why I was suddenly unavailable for 7 AM calls. My calendar fought back with its usual overflow of "urgent" meetings.
This transition requires courage and commitment, along with concrete strategies for implementation. Here's how to approach each key element:
Challenging Productivity Beliefs
Audit your current "productivity rules" - what unwritten laws govern your workday?
Question assumptions like "being unavailable means being unproductive"
Track your actual output during focused work periods versus long, uninterrupted stretches
Document when your best decisions and creative insights occur (hint: rarely during 12-hour workdays)
Redefining Success Metrics
Create a weekly "energy profit and loss statement" tracking:
Energy gains (activities that energize you)
Energy drains (activities that deplete you)
Net energy balance
Measure meeting effectiveness by outcomes rather than duration
Track team engagement and innovation alongside traditional KPIs
Monitor your sleep quality and stress levels as key performance indicators
Building Support Systems
Identify your "wellbeing board of directors" - mentors, coaches, healthcare providers
Create accountability partnerships with other leaders prioritizing sustainable success
Invest in tools and resources that support your wellbeing (apps, devices, services)
Design your environment to support healthy choices (standing desk, meditation space)
Leading by Example
Share your wellbeing journey transparently with your team
Make recovery visible (block "thinking time" on your calendar)
Encourage and celebrate healthy boundaries in team members
Create team rituals that promote wellbeing (walking meetings, no-meeting days)
📋 Leadership Wellness Audit
Take 15 minutes to assess your current state across these dimensions:
Physical Sustainability
Hours of quality sleep per night: ___
Number of breaks during workday: ___
Regular movement/exercise sessions: ___
Meals eaten away from desk: ___
Mental Clarity
Hours spent in deep focus work: ___
Number of context switches per day: ___
Time spent on strategic vs. reactive work: ___
Quality of decision-making (1-10): ___
Emotional Resilience
Stress level (1-10): ___
Recovery practices in place: ___
Relationship satisfaction (1-10): ___
Work-life boundary clarity (1-10): ___
Team Impact
Team energy level (1-10): ___
Cultural wellbeing indicators: ___
Team burnout signals: ___
Innovation/creativity metrics: ___
Score each category from 1-10 and identify:
Top area needing immediate attention
One small change you can implement tomorrow
Long-term wellbeing goal for next quarter
Resources needed for sustainable change
Review this audit monthly to track your progress and adjust your strategies. Remember, the goal isn't perfection but progress toward sustainable leadership.
The most challenging part? Accepting that this transformation isn't a linear journey. There will be days when old patterns resurface, when crisis mode feels necessary, or when the pull of traditional success metrics feels overwhelming. The key is not perfection but persistence in returning to your wellbeing practices.
The ROI of Wellbeing
The most compelling argument for this approach? It works better. Leaders who prioritize their wellbeing consistently report:
Improved decision-making clarity
Enhanced team engagement
Better stress resilience
More sustainable high performance
Deeper satisfaction with both work and life
Your Next Steps
The journey toward sustainable success doesn't require a complete life overhaul. It starts with small, intentional practices that gradually reshape your relationship with work and wellbeing. Here are the foundational practices that made the biggest difference in my transformation:
Morning Body Scan: Before reaching for your phone or laptop, take 2 minutes to check in with your physical state. How's your energy? Where are you holding tension? This simple practice helps you start your day with awareness rather than reactivity.
Energy Mapping: For one week, track your natural energy peaks and valleys. When do you feel most focused? When does your creativity flow? When do you start to fade? Use this data to restructure your calendar, scheduling your most important work during your peak energy times.
Recovery Rituals: Identify small recovery practices that work for you – perhaps a 10-minute walk between meetings, deep breathing exercises, or a proper lunch break away from your desk. Make these non-negotiable by scheduling them in your calendar.
Boundary Setting: Start with one clear boundary – maybe no meetings before 9 AM, or no emails after 7 PM. Communicate this boundary clearly to your team and stick to it. As this becomes natural, add more boundaries that protect your wellbeing.
Remember, these practices might feel uncomfortable at first. They might even trigger guilt or anxiety about productivity. This is normal. The key is to start small and remain consistent, allowing these new habits to gradually become your new normal.
The True Measure of Success
The viral post stating "The true measure of success is a calm nervous system" sparked widespread resonance for a reason. We're collectively realizing that success without wellbeing isn't really success at all.
As executives, we have the power to model a new way of leading—one that values sustainable performance over short-term gains, and recognizes that our greatest asset isn't our strategic mind, but our overall wellbeing.
The corner office is a destination, but authentic leadership is a journey of integrating success with wellbeing. Your body already knows this truth. The question is: are you ready to listen?
Are you ready to transform your relationship with success? Start with a simple energy audit: track your energy levels for one week, noting when you feel most alive and when you feel depleted. This data will become your roadmap to sustainable success. Book a free clarity call to learn how I can help you build your own Burnout Recovery Blueprint and get your free executive wellness assessment workbook. https://calendly.com/ruscitto/discovery-call-50-minutes