By Brianna McKinney
In conversations about community impact, health equity is often framed as a policy issue such as access to healthcare, public health initiatives, or neighborhood resources. Those elements matter, but there is another lever that rarely gets discussed: the personal health choices of leaders themselves.
Executives are often seen as culture-setters. The way they run meetings, handle stress, and manage their time signals to employees and colleagues what is expected and acceptable. The same is true for health. When leaders model balanced habits, those habits can shape not only organizational culture but also the broader community environment.
Modeling healthy habits
Consider food, one of the most visible daily choices. When an executive brings donuts to a meeting, no one blinks. But when that same leader introduces balanced, nourishing options, it changes the conversation. Suddenly, the “default” becomes something that sustains energy instead of draining it. Staff may feel encouraged to rethink their own choices. Over time, those small decisions influence not only productivity but also long-term wellness outcomes across the community of people that leader touches.
I encourage my executive clients to go for a walk during our sessions, since we meet via phone. One CEO found that the effect on her energy, mood, and creativity was so noticeable that she began holding walking meetings with her direct reports. She especially leaned on this approach for stressful conversations that required creative decision making. What started as a simple shift in one person’s routine spread through her company, improving her team’s experience, reducing tension, and reinforcing the idea that health and productivity are not at odds.
The influence does not stop at the conference room door. Many executives serve on nonprofit boards, economic development councils, or civic committees. A leader who chooses healthier practices can normalize them in spaces where dozens of other decision-makers are watching. Imagine if walking meetings became common in local business districts, or if civic events consistently showcased nutritious, locally sourced meals. Such choices improve the well-being of those present and demonstrate that healthy environments should be accessible to everyone, not just to those with time and resources.
Work structure is another area where leadership choices make a difference. An executive who expects responses to late-night or weekend emails signals that burnout is part of the job description. By contrast, a leader who sets clear boundaries around rest, recovery, family time, and community sends a powerful message — health matters. That message protects the leader’s well-being while also building resilience in teams, families, and the larger community. Leaders who prioritize rest are also more likely to engage in civic life, volunteer, and sustain the kind of thoughtful decision making that benefits communities over decades.
Influencing health equity
This is where equity comes in. Not every community member has equal access to healthcare, healthy food, or wellness resources. Leaders cannot close that gap on their own, but they can influence what becomes accessible and normalized within their circles of responsibility.
For example:
• Providing healthier catering at company events
• Encouraging walking meetings instead of defaulting to sit-down lunches
• Supporting local vendors who prioritize fresh, seasonal food
• Offering wellness stipends or flexible schedules for employees
You don’t need a formal leadership title to set this kind of example. Influence often shows up in small, practical roles. If you are the one placing food orders for a team gathering, you can recommend healthier catering. If you coordinate meetings, you can suggest holding one while walking instead of always sitting around a table. These kinds of everyday choices may seem minor, but they matter. They broaden the reach of health-supportive practices to people who might not otherwise prioritize or afford them, and they help make wellness part of the culture rather than an exception.
Benefiting the larger community
At its core, health stewardship is not only personal, it is communal. A community loses when leaders cut their lifespan short through neglect of their health. It gains when leaders show up with energy, focus, and longevity, able to continue contributing experience and wisdom. Just as financial stewardship ensures resources remain available for future generations, health stewardship ensures that communities retain their human capital: knowledge, creativity, and stability.
The next time you sit down to a board lunch or step into a staff meeting, ask yourself: What message am I sending about health? You do not have to make sweeping changes to have an effect. Even one intentional choice — choosing water over soda, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, pausing for a deep breath before launching into an agenda — can create lasting influence. These small, visible acts remind those around you that health is not a privilege but a shared value.
That is what health equity looks like in practice. It is not limited to policies and programs but is reflected in the daily decisions of leaders who recognize that their personal example has the power to shape a community’s well-being for years to come.
Ask Me
Have a question about building a health strategy that matches your leadership goals? Send it to [email protected]. Selected questions will be featured in future columns.
BRIANNA MCKINNEY, FNLP, NBC-HWC, is a former marketing and PR entrepreneur turned double-board-certified functional nutrition and lifestyle practitioner and health and wellness coach. She partners with entrepreneurs, executives, and business owners to align their health investments with their professional and personal ambitions. She can be reached at www.florescencehealth.com.
