Why CEOs Should Invest in Their Own Health Before Anything Else

There’s a moment I see often, and perhaps you’ve lived it too. You’ve wrapped up another packed week, answered every email, managed a home, handled a crisis or two, and suddenly realise you’ve done everything for everyone except yourself. You’re running on caffeine, grit, and willpower. You feel fine, mostly. But deep down, you sense it: something’s off. You’re functioning, not flourishing.

For many women I meet in Dubai, founders, executives, mothers, creatives, this quiet imbalance has become the norm. You lead teams, raise families, build futures, yet your own health ends up last on the list. You tell yourself you’ll get to it “when things slow down.” But they rarely do.

Here’s the truth: you can’t pour from an empty cup, and you can’t lead, in business, family, or life, from a depleted body. Your energy, clarity, and resilience are not luxuries. They’re assets. And just like any high-value asset, they need regular, intelligent investment.

As a physician who’s spent decades studying longevity and regenerative medicine, I’ve learned that decline rarely happens suddenly. Burnout, hormonal imbalance, and fatigue accumulate quietly, long before symptoms appear. They show up as whispers: restless sleep, mood dips, mid-afternoon crashes, weight fluctuations that don’t make sense. These are not random, they’re your body’s early data. Signals that, if decoded early, can change your long-term trajectory.

The science is clear: proactive health is no longer a luxury. Today, we can measure inflammation markers like C-reactive protein that hint at future cardiovascular strain, track cortisol to understand how stress is rewiring your body, or monitor thyroid and hormone balance to identify energy drains long before they affect your performance or mood.

And yet, many women I meet still hesitate to invest in themselves. There’s a cultural script, particularly strong in the Gulf, that celebrates selflessness, that subtly praises the woman who “does it all” without ever pausing for herself. But that strength, while admirable, can come at a cost. Because the reality is, when you’re exhausted, undernourished, or hormonally imbalanced, your sharpness dulls. Your patience shortens. Your joy thins.

It’s time we reframed what it means to lead well. Leadership isn’t just about driving results or keeping everyone afloat, it’s about sustaining the body and mind that make it possible. For women especially, this means moving beyond reactive care (“I’ll go to the doctor when something’s wrong”) to predictive care, understanding what your body needs before it starts to struggle.

Think of your health like an ongoing strategy review. You wouldn’t ignore performance data until a crisis hits your company or household. The same logic applies to your body. Regularly reviewing your biological “metrics”, hormones, sleep patterns, nutrient levels, recovery quality. It’s what allows you to stay sharp, creative, and calm through the unpredictable pace of life here.

And here’s the “real talk”: I know that in this region, life moves fast. Between work, travel, family expectations, and social commitments, carving out time for yourself can feel impossible, or even indulgent. But self-care isn’t a spa day. It’s a form of leadership. It’s what allows you to show up, fully, for the people and projects that matter most.

The good news? You don’t have to overhaul your life to begin. Start small. Schedule one proactive screening. Check your vitamin D, iron, or cortisol, three simple markers that can dramatically affect mood, focus, and energy. Use wearable data to track your sleep and recovery, not to compete, but to understand your rhythm. Replace guilt with curiosity: “What’s my body trying to tell me today?”

When you start treating your body with the same intelligence and intention that you bring to your work or family, everything shifts. Decisions become clearer. Stress feels more manageable. Energy returns, not in fleeting bursts, but as a steady, grounded confidence.

Because the truth is, health isn’t something you chase once it’s lost. It’s something you build, daily. And when you invest in your own health before anything else, you’re not just protecting your body, you’re preserving your power to lead, love, and live fully for decades to come.

Your body is your most valuable asset. Start managing it like one. The rest of your life will rise to meet it.

Dr, Todd McAllister, CEO & Founder at Skai Health.