ESSENTIALS FOR LEADERS AND THOSE THEY LEAD

It isn’t hard to make the connection between health and productivity— after all, common sense dictates that healthier people tend to be more productive and stay in the workforce longer. But the extent of the connection may not be immediately apparent. Our research shows that the improved labor productivity and higher incomes associated with better health can give societies a strong economic boost. The benefits of investing in health go beyond the traditional healthcare industry: they invite consideration from leaders in all industries and public- and private-sector organizations worldwide. Here are some actions you can take right now to ensure that your workforce remains healthier for longer.

AN IDEA

Consider the ROI of health

Like most smart investments, spending on health can yield substantial returns. Our latest report on the impact of reducing the global disease burden finds that health improvements could add $12 trillion, or 8 percent, to global GDP in 2040. For employers, that means greater labor force participation, fewer employee health conditions, and improved productivity from workers who are physically, cognitively, and psychologically healthier. According to McKinsey senior partners Sven Smit and Jonathan Woetzel and their colleagues, every dollar invested in improving health could yield an economic return of $2 to $4. Long-term disease prevention and health promotion “cannot simply be left to healthcare providers or healthcare systems,” they say. “It is quite literally everybody’s business. Advancing healthy communities and healthy and inclusive workplaces will be critical.”

A BIG NUMBER

10

That’s the number of new technologies that could reduce the burden of disease by 6 to 10 percent more than the estimated 40 percent from known interventions. Emerging technologies can not only fully cure many diseases but may also postpone the onset of age-related conditions, report the authors of a new McKinsey study. For example, a class of small molecules called senolytics may decrease or eliminate the aging cells that cause certain diseases. But to realize the potential of these innovations, leaders in businesses, governments, and academia need to make continual R&D investments, the McKinsey researchers suggest.

A QUOTE

‘Mental health must be a priority for every employer.’

That’s Garen Staglin, cofounder of the brain health nonprofit organization One Mind, in a discussion with McKinsey’s Erica Coe and Kana Enomoto. Noting that an increasing number of people are experiencing mental-health challenges—many for the first time in their lives—Staglin emphasizes the importance of employer involvement in workplace mental-health efforts. In particular, “the single biggest influencer of a behavioral-health program’s success is the level of personal commitment from the CEO and other senior executives,” he says. Without that support, “these programs tend to lose momentum, often getting supplanted by new priorities over time.”

A SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW

“The mind plays a massive role in how we create a healthy reality,” says author and entrepreneur Tamen Jadad-Garcia in this discussion with McKinsey. “Your mind has a practically unlimited capacity to interpret something as stressful or fear-inducing, but you can also interpret the same context as calming, joyful, and welcoming.” Besides training your brain to achieve this more optimistic perspective, Jadad-Garcia suggests paying attention to the qualities of physical spaces, which “can either contribute to or sabotage our healthy realities.” For example, green spaces—such as grasslands, trees, or vegetation—have been shown to improve cognitive functioning and reduce stress. “Being in nature helps with attention span, creativity, well-being, and happiness,” state McKinsey senior partner Arne Gast and coauthors in this article. “It shouldn’t be a vacation from building these crucial skills but rather a foundational resource for individual and team development.”

— Edited by Rama Ramaswami, senior editor, New York

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