By: Lila Brooks
Leah Crump is a wellness and hospitality advisor and the author of Be Well, Do Well. She guides elite organizations and leaders through the future of leadership, longevity, and workplace culture. Her approach blends strategy with lifestyle, helping businesses grow while supporting clarity, resilience, and human sustainability.
In today’s high-pressure work environment, burnout and chronic stress are impossible to ignore. Leah challenges traditional definitions of success and power, showing that wellness and ambition are not mutually exclusive, they actually reinforce each other.
Why Hustle Culture Isn’t Working
“Organizations are questioning hustle culture because the cost has become visible at scale,” Leah says. “We’re seeing chronic stress, anxiety, and burnout show up as attrition, disengagement, and stalled creativity. Leaders followed the old playbook, and now they’re confronting its limits. This isn’t about abandoning ambition, it’s about recognizing that systems built on constant pressure eventually break down.”
Leah emphasizes that wellness sharpens ambition. “When organizations support hydration, movement, recovery, and regulation, decision-making improves across teams,” she explains. “Power today looks like discernment rather than constant availability. Companies that respect boundaries see steadier leadership, healthier cultures, and stronger long-term performance.”
Wellness Is More Than a Perk
Many companies still treat wellness like a nice-to-have benefit instead of a core part of their operations. Leah notes, “I’ve seen organizations invest in wellness programs while maintaining nonstop urgency. Stress and anxiety don’t come from a lack of benefits; they come from how work is designed. When you address structure, expectations, and pace, people perform better because they can think clearly.”
Leaders also need to know whether their work is energizing or draining. Leah observes, “When my work is aligned, I’m hydrated without thinking, I want to move, and a walk between calls feels restorative. When work is draining, stress settles into my neck and chest, my thinking speeds up, and I override basic needs because everything feels urgent.”
Redefining Success, One Step at a Time
Redefining success changes how organizations and individuals operate every day. “When success isn’t measured only by revenue or recognition, organizations begin valuing sustainability, clarity, and retention,” Leah says. “Individuals move out of reaction mode. They hydrate. They move. They engage more fully. Designing for sustainability consistently produces better outcomes at every level.”
Part of that shift requires unlearning harmful habits. Leah points to constant self-sacrifice as one of the most damaging patterns. “I learned that early in my career and wore it like a badge,” she says. “It looked responsible, and it quietly created exhaustion and resentment. Learning to set boundaries, protecting mornings, blocking time to think, letting others own their part, made me calmer, clearer, and far more sustainable.”
Place, Lifestyle, and Leadership
Leah believes the environment plays a crucial role in how we work and lead. “Place matters,” she says. “Miami offers a contrast to constant acceleration. Light, movement, time outdoors, and cultural energy invite a different relationship with pace. Organizations that acknowledge lifestyle as part of performance see clearer leadership and stronger engagement.”
The Inner Work of Change
Before changing careers or leadership styles, Leah emphasizes the importance of pausing to assess what isn’t working. “People move quickly toward change without examining the habits that drain them, over-responsibility, urgency-driven productivity, and the pressure to always be available. Without naming those patterns, they simply recreate them in a new role,” she says. Real change begins with clarity about limits, pace, and sustainability.
Building Ambitious, Meaningful Lives
Leah’s personal mission drives her work: “I want to help people build ambitious, meaningful lives without living in a constant state of stress. I’ve spent years in wellness and hospitality watching smart, capable people carry anxiety as if it were part of the job. I’m committed to modeling a different way, one where health, boundaries, and clarity are part of how success is defined.”
Designing the Future of Leadership
Looking ahead, Leah hopes her work will reshape leadership and workplace culture. “I want organizations to see longevity as a strategic advantage,” she says. “A future where success isn’t built on chronic stress, but on steadiness, clarity, and human sustainability. That future is forming now, and my work helps leaders design for it with confidence.”
Her approach is practical, human-centered, and actionable. Leah empowers leaders to rethink traditional markers of achievement, prioritize clarity and sustainability, and create workplaces where people thrive rather than simply survive.
She leaves leaders with a clear message: “Ambition and wellness are not mutually exclusive. When approached intentionally, they reinforce each other, driving better results, engagement, and long-term impact.”
Find out more about Leah Crump and her work at leahcrump.com.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and reflects the personal opinions and experiences of Leah Crump. It is not intended as medical, psychological, or professional advice. Readers should consult qualified professionals for advice tailored to their individual needs and circumstances. The content provided does not substitute for individualized care or professional guidance.
