There is a famous Zen Buddhist quote that says, “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water." This is generally interpreted to mean that the joy in life is found in the simple tasks and the simple moments. The opportunity to do what's in front of us and to do it well. To do work we love and to love the work we do. And to give service to others.

When it comes to leadership, chopping wood and carrying water is an easily adopted outlook. Here are three simple ideas every leader should embrace in their company: 

1) Serve others as an intentional practice. Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy where the leader's goal is to serve. To be a true servant leader, ask yourself, “How am I serving my employees, teams or stakeholders?" If it's by showing compassion, humility, humanity and empathy, sharing power, and using your strength to serve all stakeholders, you demonstrate servant leadership.

In my experience, I've learned that you most powerfully serve your clients and teams when you are at your best mentally, physically and spiritually. I always like to think about the whole person, such as how we can help leaders to be healthier and happier, and provide opportunities for them to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams, and how the company can be in service to those things as its highest priority. To that end, the objective is to help team members discover and focus on their Highest and Best Use (HABU), which is what they love to do, what they do best and is therefore best for all.

2) Understand that culture is key. When you get to the root, culture is a feeling. How does it feel to be in this organization, in this environment, with these people? We've learned that the foundation of that feeling stems from the company's mission statement and core values. But that's only the case if the mission statement and core values are genuinely present in the environment—and they resonate. The team must feel them and want to embody them daily.

3) Prioritize team connectedness. If you want your employees to work hard and produce results, fostering a happy and connected team is essential. One way to do this is through a wellness-focused approach to caring for your people. Some examples include implementing practices, such as meditation and health and wellness challenges.

However, it's critical to remember that wellness practices are not one-size-fits-all. Workplace wellness initiatives can be tricky because they require a careful balance around confidentiality and expectations of participation. Having a wide variety of initiatives, where you take a people-first approach, is vital to engagement, happiness and success.

Bill Johnson is the CEO, founder & chairman of The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers. He is also a former film producer, producing films with Brad Pitt, Keanu Reeves, Nicole Kidman and other stars.