7 Traits of Well-Being Legends

I attended the September 2017 HERO (Health Enhancement Research Organization) Forum. Participants, presenters, and conference organizers included many long-time, successful professionals — almost a who’s who of wellness leadership. On the trip home I considered why these folks have been so successful over the years.

They share these traits:

1. Making others feel important. Their goals revolve around emphasizing the strengths and contributions of others, not their own.
2. Promoting a vision. You never have to wonder about where they think the industry needs to go, what they should be doing, or what’s the best way to get there — they’re pushing for change, not reacting to it.
3. Treating people the way they like to be treated. They’re the kind of folks you’d love to have as your neighbor as well as your boss.
4. Owning mistakes. Because they like to push the envelope, they probably make more mistakes than the average professional, but they admit them, learn from them, and use the experience as a springboard to greater success.
5. Offering constructive criticism in private. They’re not afraid to take on the tough job of correcting poor performance, but they do it professionally, confidentially, and with the goal of turning a negative into a positive.
6. Keeping their sleeves rolled up. They’re right in on the action, working with clients, networking with colleagues, and being engaged in every facet of the program.
7. Staying highly competitive. They always want to beat last month’s numbers, last quarter’s, last year’s. They’re not fulfilled unless they have a benchmark to compare almost every aspect of their work.

If you know people like this — whether in wellness or not — stay close and learn from them. These attributes, more than any advanced degree, will help you be successful in your well-being career.