This is a point too many people miss in their day-in and day-out. Anyone who wants to be consistently excellent at their living must have a more-than-passing acquaintance with conditioning, even those who suppose they work purely above their necks. The tempo of demands in the 21st century has made conditioning a growing requirement — and a topic of inquiry — among great deciders in all realms. Analysts at McKinsey Quarterlyhave recognized “the connection between physical health, emotional health, and judgment.” Those who ignore it will find themselves trailing in a wake — just as Phelps’s competitors did over a career in which he won 23 Olympic swimming gold medals, more than double the number won by anyone else.
