Taking Care of Your Health

For executives, attending to their health can have an impact on their effectiveness, which benefits their organizations. In the sixteenth century, Cristobal Mendez, author of the first book on bodily exercise, wrote, “The easiest way to preserve health and with greater profit than all other measures is to exercise well.” Perhaps this could be enlarged to include the notion that exercising well can also help one to lead well, whether that effect is mediated by better stress management, improved mental alertness, or increased energy. By exercising well, we mean expending an average of 1,600 calories per week in such activities as walking, jogging, or cycling. Achieving moderate to high levels of fitness does not require very intense exercise efforts. Rather, the key is consistent exercise (performed most if not all days of the week) of moderate intensity (such as a brisk walk) for twenty to thirty minutes.

It is important to realize that the demands of leadership are high—often leaders face a great deal of travel, the potential for much stress, and long work hours—and that these demands can take a physical and mental toll. A good fitness level achieved through regular exercise can not only help executives take care of their health but can also endow them with the physiological wherewithal to meet these demands not just for tomorrow but over the long haul.