How Getting Outside Can Improve Your Leadership (and Life)

Nothing beats springtime in DC. Once the first cherry blossoms bloom, it’s nonstop color until summer when the leaves fill out fully and the whole world is green again. Yoshino cherries, daffodils and magnolias bloom first, then weeping cherries, tulips, bluebells, and redbuds followed by kwanzan cherries, with their petals that fall like snow and cover the ground, desperate not to be outdone by the firework display put on by the azaleas. The air is warm, and the bugs aren’t a problem yet. Springtime here is one of the many reasons we might never leave DC.

The Evidence.

"I am thankful that in a troubled world no calamity can prevent the return of spring." - Helen Keller

Whether or not you live in a place that embraces spring so thoroughly, or you suffer from terrible allergies, or your springtime is the busiest time of year for your work, we invite you to recommit to the outdoors this month. Time spent in nature provides benefits little else can. 

Consider this, from a recent Washington Post article:

“Study after peer-reviewed study has shown that nature exposure is linked to living longer, sleeping better, displaying improved cognitive function, and enjoying lower rates of heart disease, obesity, depression and stress.”

Hang on. Are we to understand that time in nature will mean you, as a leader, will live longer, be better rested, think more clearly and enjoy greater physical and mental health? It almost sounds too good to be true.

And it gets better! Spending time in nature is also correlated with enhanced creativity and even just looking at pictures of nature can stretch time!

The Practice.

"In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks." - John Muir

In a fast-paced world it can be difficult to fit in time outside. One question to ask yourself to help solve this problem: What tasks are you currently doing that could be accomplished outdoors?

• Take your meetings to go. Walking meetings have proven to be very effective, with participants receiving the added benefits of nature and exercise. Here’s how to do it right.
• Ditch the gym. Get the benefits of a gym workout and all the benefits of vitamin D and nature at the same time by working out outside. (Fun Fact: Andrew regularly sees former NIH Director and current science advisor to the president, Francis Collins, working out at an exercise station in Rock Creek Park before the sun rises!)
• Don’t wait, walk! Parents spend plenty of time not only driving kids around, but often working in the car while waiting for a lesson/practice/activity to finish. Take that time to walk (and call your mom while you’re at it!).
• Dig into Gardening. Great satisfaction and health can be gained by doing some of your own landscaping, planting a community garden, or even just a few potted plants.
• Work on the roof. Take advantage of the natural spaces around your home/office. If you have the opportunity, work on the patio, porch, or other spaces available to you.

If these options don’t work for you, take the advice of Atomic Habits author James Clear and couple your time in nature with something you’re already doing. For example, go on a little walk right after dinner, or stop by a park before grocery shopping.

Modeling the Way.

"The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased and not impaired in value." –Theodore Roosevelt

As noted in the above referenced Washington Post article, “... the poorest city dwellers have the least access to the nature’s health benefits.” Use your influence and resources to help make these benefits available to more people. Encourage your team/organization to spend time outside, and carve out time to do so. This could be a team meeting, a service project or a social gathering. As always, do what you can to model the behavior of prioritizing physical and mental health. 

Consider supporting organizations that provide green space for under-served communities, such as The Nature Conservancy or Trust for Public Land.

And of course, there’s no substitute for each of us making a small difference every day. Check out these 50 ways to help the planet or these 11 ways you can be more eco-friendly as an organization.

Spoiler Alert! Follow the example of our Model Leader of the Month, Sally Jewell. In 2015, as  U.S. Secretary of the Interior, she made it possible for all 4th graders in the country to have a National Parks pass. We have taken advantage of this amazing program, and have visited nearly 20 national parks to date as a family! (This included a trip in 2021 where we drove the five kids on a 5,000 mile road-trip to visit five national parks through Utah, Wyoming and Montana.)

Additional Resources.

"In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they're still beautiful." - Alice Walker

If you’re looking for some good reading on the natural world, here are a few of our favorites:

John Muir: The Story of my Boyhood and Youth (available for free online)

River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey, by Candice Millard

The Elephant Whisperer, by Lawrence Anthony and Graham Spence

The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate, by Peter Wohlleben

. . .

Are you still here? What are you doing? Get outside! Maybe you already are outside… maybe you just came inside. Well, we’re going outside.

Love,

Ariel and Andrew