Why Leadership Needs a Movement - Literally

Leadership today sits at a crossroads of growing demands and declining health.

In America, we’re facing a very real crisis of wellness. Obesity rates continue to climb. Sedentary lifestyles are the norm, with hours spent behind desks and screens. And despite rapid advances in technology, our health span—the number of years we live in good health—is shrinking.

This isn’t just a public health problem.
It’s a leadership problem.

Across industries, leaders are burning out at alarming rates. In education, turnover among superintendents and principals is destabilizing schools and systems. In business, executives cycle in and out of roles with dizzying speed. Every leadership transition comes at a cost—lost institutional knowledge, stalled momentum, shaken team morale, and reduced organizational effectiveness.

Why Are Leaders Burning Out?

These challenges aren’t just statistics to me—they're personal.
During my doctoral research, I studied executive leadership turnover and its impact. What I found confirmed what many of us already feel: the expectations placed on leaders are growing, but the support for sustaining their health and presence is not.

Stress.
Isolation.
Public scrutiny.
Imbalance.
They combine, silently and persistently, until good leaders begin to fray.

I read stories of executives who suffered health crises—heart attacks, chronic fatigue, mental health breakdowns—directly linked to the unrelenting pressure of their roles. I heard firsthand from colleagues who admitted they struggled to leave the office at a decent hour or find time to move their bodies, eat well, or sleep enough.

At conferences, I’d hear it over and over again:
“I know I need to take better care of myself.”
But for many, that’s where the conversation ends.

We Talk About Wellness. But We Don’t Teach It.

We tell leaders to “take care of themselves,” but we don’t give them a roadmap. We don’t talk about the daily systems, habits, and mindset shifts that make wellness sustainable. And we definitely don’t treat movement—our most natural, accessible form of self-care—as a professional priority.

Instead, we act like wellbeing is a luxury. A personal hobby. Something leaders should pursue “if they have time.”

We’ve got it backwards.

Why This Is Personal

This work matters deeply to me—not as an abstract theory, but as lived experience.

I’ve spent my life exploring what it means to move well, fuel well, and live well—not just for performance, but for leadership, family, and long-term impact.

As a former Division I tennis player turned endurance athlete, I’ve completed multiple Half Ironmans, a full Ironman, marathons, and Olympic-distance triathlons. Through that training, I’ve learned powerful lessons about resilience, pacing, and grit—all traits that map directly to leadership.

Beyond athletics, I’m a devoted student of wellness—reading, experimenting, and learning how movement and nutrition influence not only the body, but also the mind. I’ve seen how better health leads to clearer thinking, stronger emotional regulation, and more grounded decision-making.

Professionally, I serve as the superintendent of a large suburban school district. I understand the realities of leadership. I know what it feels like to be pulled in a thousand directions. I also know the immense pressure to appear tireless, even when you’re running on empty.

And I’m a husband and father. Our family values being active and outdoors together. This lifestyle is not something I turn on and off depending on the day—it’s who we are. It’s what keeps me present, clear, and able to lead both at home and at work.

Introducing Leadership Movement

That’s why I created Leadership Movement—an initiative designed to help leaders use movement, nutrition, and intentional routine to enhance their clarity, endurance, and wellbeing.

Leadership Movement isn’t about adding more to your schedule.
It’s about doing better with the time you already have.

It’s a mindset shift. A daily discipline. A personal and professional advantage.

When you move, you don’t lose time—you gain capacity.
You think more clearly. You respond more calmly. You lead more effectively.

And that’s why RelatEd. was born—to help leaders create the personal infrastructure to thrive. Through our coaching, workshops, and keynote presentations, we support school and organizational leaders in building healthy routines that promote sustainable success.

We guide leaders to:

• Establish morning and evening routines that support physical and mental clarity

• Integrate movement into the workday in a way that’s energizing, not disruptive

• Make aligned decisions about time, commitments, and boundaries

• Build a health-driven leadership identity that inspires their teams

This Is the Movement Leadership Needs

Leadership Movement isn’t a one-size-fits-all fitness plan.
It’s a framework. A philosophy. A call to action.

Because when leaders move—literally—they gain the clarity, energy, and presence to lead better and live longer.

Let’s stop treating wellness as a side conversation. Let’s put it at the center of how we lead.

If you're ready to start, stay tuned—or better yet, reach out.
RelatEd. is here to walk (or run) alongside you.