We’ve already dusted off every skeleton in the respective closets of our presidential candidates — so let’s try a new angle.

Consider looking at well-being as your tiebreaker.

And I don’t just mean how lean and physically active our candidates are. I mean “whole-person well-being.” This topic includes characteristics like resilience, optimism, positive relationships, concern for others — all of which contribute to well-being.

We know people are complex systems — what happens in one area of someone’s life impacts other areas. Take stress. Is it a health issue? A work issue? A performance issue?

It’s actually all three, which is why overall well-being is so important to address. Especially for our country’s top job. Running a country requires stamina and self-care.

Well-being predicts outcomes in all areas of personal and professional life — including how well we do our jobs, how long we live and how we build bridges with others.

In fact, research reveals when employees have higher well-being, 88 percent are more engaged at work, 84 percent are more loyal to their teams, and 83 percent enjoy their work more.

Low well-being, on the other hand, correlates strongly to one of our nation’s biggest challenges — rising health costs.

So let’s use well-being as a lens to view the future performance of our candidates. Start with these questions.

Who has the highest emotional well-being? Consider positive relationships, self-leadership, self-acceptance and stress management.
Who is committed to maintaining their physical health? It’s not just about cholesterol and blood pressure — also consider which candidate has higher energy levels, self-care and nutrition.
Who has a high capacity for change? The challenges our country faces change constantly — and it’s a four-year gig. Important qualities include making and keeping commitments, resilience, openness & optimism, and belief in one’s abilities.
Who will love their work more? Work well-being is critical for any leader. How will each candidate bring the best out of the beltway culture, find meaning in the role, foster a sense of team and create sustainable work-life integration?
Who is most likely to reach their full potential in the role? Those who excel in this area are committed to exploring life meaning, sense of purpose and concern for others.

There are countless ways to evaluate a presidential candidate, so try well-being as a reliable predictor of performance. CEOs of the biggest and best private enterprises invest in well-being for a reason.

It yields higher performance, productivity and results — things any voter should value.

Instant Insights /

A twist for undecided voters: Use well-being as your tiebreaker

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