Leadership in Action - Fitness for Leadership

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 ...