How leaders and managers can use their superpowers to master health
For me, this time of year feels like an exhale. It’s the rare moment when the relentless pace slows just enough to allow me to unplug and immerse myself in what matters most: friends, family, and living fully in the present. These pauses aren’t just physical resets; they’re mental ones too, and they remind me that rest isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. But as much as December is a time to recover, it’s also a time to look ahead. Like many of you, I’m wrapping up this year’s objectives, goals, strategies, and measures—OGSMs—while refining the frameworks that will guide the team into 2025. This duality—the need for rest paired with the need for clarity—defines the unique rhythm of this period.
December’s exhale isn’t just about tying up loose ends or finalizing plans; it’s an opportunity to recalibrate. The reflections I make now, as an executive and as a person, set the stage for what’s to come. This is a moment to think about the big picture, not just for your business but also for yourself. After all, the systems we use to manage thriving organizations—setting goals, measuring outcomes, and fostering resilience—can be so powerful if applied to our own health.
A study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise using national data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) drives a point home for life goals: physical activity is the strongest predictor of longevity and quality of life, more impactful than age, smoking, or even chronic disease. Let that sink in. How much and how you move matters more than how old you are when it comes to how many years—and how many quality years—you can count on. This reality presents both a challenge and an opportunity: the choices we make for our bodies today are as vital as the decisions we make for our businesses. So as you refine your goals for the year ahead, why not leverage your leadership and managerial skills to your overall health plan?
- Treat Your Body Like a High-Performing Team
In business, I’ve found that the best leaders know that success starts with prioritizing people. A thriving team isn’t built overnight—it requires clear goals, consistent care, and intentional communication. Neglect these fundamentals, and even the most talented teams can falter. High performers need to feel supported and aligned with the company’s broader vision, or productivity and morale will inevitably suffer.
Your body operates on the same principles. If you fail to prioritize rest, proper nourishment, and regular activity, your mental and physical performance will fall way short. Like a team member who’s burned out or overworked, a neglected body can’t sustain peak performance. Sleep deprivation, poor eating habits, or inactivity leave you running on fumes, increasing your risk of fatigue, stress, and even illness. Just as great managers create systems to support their teams, you need systems to support your health.
Practical application starts with consistency. Design a sustainable plan that includes regular movement—whether it’s endurance exercise, resistance training, cardio, Pilates, or yoga—along with proper sleep hygiene and balanced nutrition. For me, I aim to follow a 95/5 approach: 95% of what I eat comes from fresh, whole foods like lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables, while only 5% comes from packaged or processed items. This means avoiding the majority of food aisles and prioritizing freshness. It's a high turnover food plan. It also means taking pride in knowing where my food is sourced, rather than relying on the supply chains of ready-made foods and restaurants. Pair this with 3–4 workouts per week, and you’re creating the operational framework your body needs to thrive.
- Build a Vision and Strategy for Your Health
No successful business operates without a clear vision. Whether you’re launching a new product or creating a long-term growth plan, vision provides the purpose and strategy turns that purpose into results. Businesses that lack a roadmap often struggle with inefficiency and aimlessness—random projects without a unifying goal waste resources and energy.
The same holds true for health. Without a clear vision, your efforts can feel disorganized and unsustainable. For me, crafting a vision for health involves setting meaningful goals that align with how I want to live. That might mean maintaining mobility as I age, building strength, or completing a sub four marathon. Once you have a vision, the next step is strategy: breaking big goals into smaller, actionable steps. This could include meal planning, scheduling weekly workouts, or even using apps like Strava to track progress.
Start by asking yourself what success looks like and why it matters to you. If you want to improve endurance, commit to a progressive running plan that builds mileage gradually. For strength, incorporate resistance training at least three times a week with measurable benchmarks, like increasing weights or repetitions. When you treat your health plan like a business strategy—with milestones, accountability, and room for adjustments—you set yourself up for long-term success.
- Measure What Matters with a Biofeedback Loop
In business, tracking progress through key performance indicators (KPIs) and feedback loops is the foundation of sustained success. Dashboards consolidate critical metrics like revenue growth, customer retention, or employee engagement into actionable insights. Regular reviews—weekly, monthly, and quarterly—ensure teams remain aligned, strategies remain effective, and resources are optimized. Ignoring metrics means flying blind, while leveraging them allows businesses to pivot quickly and achieve long-term goals.
Health benefits from the same systematic approach. Wearable devices like Garmin, Whoop, and Oura act as personal dashboards, offering real-time insights into key metrics like heart rate variability (HRV), sleep quality, and training load. These tools allow you to see how your body responds to physical and mental stress, recovery efforts, and daily routines. Personally, I track weekly training load across running, swimming, and cycling to balance intensity and avoid overtraining. I also check my weight weekly, using it as one piece of the broader picture of my health. At the end of each month, I evaluate cumulative training load trends to ensure progression. Quarterly, I go deeper by incorporating SECA scans to monitor changes in body composition—muscle mass and regional fat distribution—along with key strength assessments through specific lifts and reps. These insights guide adjustments in both training and nutrition to optimize long-term results.
To expand this framework, consider semi-annual or annual blood testing for cardiometabolic markers like cholesterol, glucose, and HbA1c. This marker list can be further expanded to include insights into cardiovascular function and overall “inflammaging” markers, offering a deeper understanding of inflammation and long-term health risks. While quarterly testing may feel excessive, a twice-yearly or annual cadence aligns well with standard health practices and provides a broader understanding of overall health. Blood testing is particularly valuable for identifying hidden risks like insulin resistance or cardiovascular strain that may not be evident through other metrics. By combining body composition data, strength metrics, and cardiometabolic insights, you create a well-rounded approach to health tracking that balances physical performance with long-term well-being.
Practical application follows a simple cadence: each week, monitor short-term metrics like mileage, strain, and weight to make immediate adjustments. Every month, evaluate cumulative training load to confirm sustainable progress. Quarterly, use tools like SECA for body composition and strength tracking to measure the effectiveness of your efforts. Then, incorporate blood testing semi-annually or annually to assess deeper health markers. By structuring your check-ins this way, you ensure your health plan evolves based on data, stays aligned with your goals, and supports both immediate performance and lifelong vitality.
- Adapt and Keep Moving Forward
Every executive knows that success isn’t linear. Market conditions shift, plans change, and unexpected obstacles arise. The most successful businesses are those that adapt, finding ways to keep moving forward without losing sight of the big picture.
Health requires the same resilience. Injuries, illnesses, or life’s busyness can derail even the best-laid plans. During one marathon training cycle, a muscle strain forced me to stop running temporarily. Instead of giving up, I shifted to cycling and swimming, maintaining fitness while allowing my injury to heal. This flexibility not only kept me on track but also taught me the value of cross-training. Like in business, the key is to pivot without abandoning your broader vision.
When challenges arise, focus on what you can do rather than what you can’t. If an injury limits certain movements, explore alternatives that keep you active. If time constraints make long workouts impossible, commit to shorter, high-intensity sessions. The goal is to maintain momentum, even in the face of setbacks. Building resilience isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress and adaptability.
- Celebrate Wins to Build Momentum
In business, celebrating wins—big and small—is essential for sustaining momentum. It reminds teams that their efforts matter and helps build morale for the challenges ahead. Health is no different. Too often, we focus only on the destination—whether it’s losing weight or hitting a personal record—without appreciating the effort it took to get there.
For me, celebration isn’t just about reaching a goal; it’s about acknowledging the work along the way. Maybe that’s upgrading to a sleek new pair of running shoes after completing a training block, treating myself to a celebratory dinner, or investing in stylish new apparel that makes me feel sharp at the gym—or even outside of it. These moments remind me to take pride in the process, turning the journey into something I look forward to rather than just endure.
Celebrating progress doesn’t have to be extravagant. Reward yourself with experiences or items that genuinely make you happy—a swanky jacket, a weekend getaway, or even just a quiet moment to reflect on your growth. The key is to create a positive feedback loop where progress feels rewarding, not grueling. Health isn’t just about reaching milestones; it’s about those steps and moments along the way.
Practical Steps for Your Routine
- Treat your body like a high-performing team
- Build a vision and strategy for your health
- Measure what matters with a biofeedback loop
- Adapt and keep moving forward
- Celebrate wins to build momentum
December is a time of transition—a moment to pause, reflect, and recalibrate. It’s the period to close the books on the past year while laying the foundation for what’s to come. Just as you approach your business goals with clear objectives, actionable strategies, and regular check-ins, your health deserves the same thoughtful attention. These principles aren’t just tools for professional success—they’re the scaffolding for living a sharper, stronger, more resilient life.
Prioritizing your health is about more than adding years to your life—it’s about adding life to those years. The systems you build today, from tracking progress to adapting with resilience, are what ensure long-term sustainability. By treating your body as your most valuable asset, you give yourself the capacity to succeed in all areas of life. So, as you refine your goals for the year ahead, remember: the same principles that drive success in business can also transform your health. The dividends? They’ll pay off for a lifetime.