As a CEO, stress isn’t just an occasional challenge—it’s a constant companion. You’re accountable to the board, shareholders, employees, and customers while making high-stakes decisions, managing relentless workloads, and anticipating risks. Unfortunately, personal life and healthy habits often take a backseat. With that said, health isn’t just a personal imperative. It’s a strategic imperative.
When a CEO’s well-being declines, it doesn’t just impact them or their families—it can shake the entire organization. Research from the University of Georgia found that when an executive announces an illness, medical leave, or hospitalization, share prices drop nearly 2% the next day. Treating your health like any other critical business function is important—with strategy, consistency, and discipline. Here are seven essential healthy habits that separate top-performing leaders from the rest.
1. They Treat Their Energy As Their Most Valuable Asset
“Energy, not time, is your most valuable asset.” This concept, popularized by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz in The Power of Full Engagement, underscores a critical truth: time is meaningless if you lack the energy to use it effectively. Instead of tracking your hours, structure your days around your peak energy cycles. Schedule your most demanding work during high-energy periods and reserve lower-energy times for self-reflection or routine low-cognitive tasks. By optimizing for energy, you’re more likely to maximize your productivity, leadership effectiveness, and overall impact.
2. They Create Accountability For Themselves
Being a CEO requires self-discipline, and great leadership starts with leading yourself. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon shared on How Leaders Lead with David Novak that he writes a list every Sunday night, asking himself, “What am I avoiding? What’s tough? What do I have to do?” He also seeks honest, unfiltered feedback. CEOs can take a similar approach to their health by creating accountability systems. An accountability system can include various things such as executive coaches, peer groups, health tracking tools, and quarterly wellness audits to ensure you stay on track just as you do with your business KPIs.
3. They View Fitness As A Leadership Amplifier
Exercise isn’t a luxury—it’s an under-spoken leadership tool. Disney CEO Bob Iger put in point-blank: “Staying in shape, having stamina, is critical for me. I could not do this job if I were not in some form of physical and mental health.” Whether it’s strength training, endurance sports, or a hybrid approach, fitness can be leveraged as a means to build your resilience, improve your cognitive functioning, and improve your stress tolerance. Just as strategic overload in training makes an athlete stronger, structured (and touch) physical training equips leaders with the necessary endurance required to withstand the rigors of the role.
4. They Dedicate Time To The Mental Gym
Business, like sports, is a mental game. Just as athletes train muscle memory, CEOs who engage in daily mental conditioning can further develop their confidence, adaptability, and problem-solving abilities. In Inner Excellence, Jim Murphy highlights three key pillars for extraordinary performance: love (fueling purpose), wisdom (ensuring clear, objective decision-making), and courage (reframing failure and maintaining resilience). CEOs who prioritize mindfulness, journaling, visualization, breathwork, and intentional solitude, amongst other mental exercises, can further embody those three pillars to be more engaging and effective leaders.
5. They’re Precise With Rest And Restoration
Long hours and intense work are necessary, but exhaustion and running on empty don’t need to be a badge of honor. Instead, a more ideal approach is to balance intensity with recovery, recognizing that growth happens during restoration. A sample schedule includes deep work blocks, strategic breaks, moments of solitude, and high-quality sleep. As Tim Grover, trainer to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, wrote in Winning: “If you’re always grinding, you’ll turn into sawdust.” Sustainable performance requires knowing when to push and when to step back.
6. They Approach Their Health Like A Business
The same principles that drive business success apply to your well-being. CEOs plan in decades, not just quarters—why not take the same approach to health? In business, long-term vision, adaptability, and continuous growth are essential. Apply this mindset to your health by tracking key data and leveraging personalized insights to make better decisions. Just as leaders analyze business metrics, they should monitor their health with the same strategic intent. Longevity—whether in business or health—is never left to chance. It’s actively designed.
7. They Precisely Invest In Hobbies And Relationships
Great CEOs don’t just work—they experience life. While business is a significant part of their identity, they understand that true well-being comes from fulfillment outside the office. Deep relationships with spouses, kids, mentors, and close friends keep them rooted. Meaningful hobbies provide stress relief, spark creativity, increase organizational performance, and cultivate stronger and more relatable leaders. Whether learning a new skill, engaging in adventure sports, or being present with loved ones, aiming for a whole life benefits your identity and mental health.
Healthy Habits Equal Healthy Leaders
For CEOs, health isn’t merely about personal well-being—it’s a strategic advantage. Leaders who optimize their energy, build resilience, and create sustainable healthy habits don’t just survive the pressures of leadership and business—they thrive. In a world where the demands on executives are relentless, the real question isn’t whether you have time to prioritize your health. It’s whether you can afford not to.