Written by Deborah Levine, Editor

One of the most meaningful activities a leader can do is setting a good example. On any given day, I talk with executives who tell me how tired they were. One day last week I spoke with executives in three unrelated companies within an hour’s time, and each of them was exhausted. One hadn’t eaten yet that day and it was 2:00pm. Another was on his 5^th cup of coffee and the third was lunching on a bear’s claw from a vending machine. Each of these individuals has chronic health problems and two of the three have used considerable sick leave from their job.

All three are baby boomers with many years experience and considerable energy that they deploy on behalf of their communities and companies. All of them are busy and put their self care after their jobs and responsibilities. Intellectually, they know that 80% of healthcare spending goes to people with one or more chronic conditions. As baby boomers like these three grow older, they may well add to the chronic care crisis anticipated by the healthcare system. They are breadwinners taking care of their families now, but they may become one of many with chronic illnesses whose families take care of them? “There are more than 50 million people in America caring for loved ones with a chronic illness or disability,” says Suzanne Mintz, president of the National Family Caregivers Association.

These individuals are role models and mentors. They are very public people, yet their wellness habits are private and off limits. In part, they keep their health issues private for fear of creating the impression that they are not as competent, professional and dependable as their image would suggest. Recently, the issue of health and leadership came up nationally and very publicly. The public was generally surprised by the decision to continue following the announcement of the return of her cancer by Elizabeth Edwards, wife of presidential candidate, John Edwards. Surely, the Edwards family should curtail their activities; withdraw from the most challenging of political campaigns. The decision to manage the problem and remain in the race was somewhat shocking at the moment but has all but faded from view. Perhaps the determination and acceptance of the Edwards is a signal that others can be more open with their health issues and yet remain effective and competitive.

This article is the first in a series on leadership and wellness. Our focus will be on our readers who are decision makers and consequence driven. Professional and leaders in their communities with substantial responsibilities make decisions that impact people’s lives. Whatever your age, gender, ethnicity or faith, how you take care of yourself determines not only how you feel but also how effective you are, now and in the long term. There are many elements to self care: exercise, stress management, avoiding risky behaviors such as smoking and alcohol and substance abuse.

The issue that we will focus on is food. We’ll look at what we eat and what are the alternatives. We will also look at the safety of our food supply. National trends in the marketing, packaging and labeling of our food affect us all and we will report on those, too. While many of these issues are matters of public health and increasingly related to national and international policies, they also are matters of individual choices. Leaders can make a huge impact by setting an example of personal responsibility, wise choices and educated awareness.