He manages one of the most successful soccer clubs in the world and is the elite leader every CEO wants to talk to. So why has Mikel Arteta decided to go public on having his own DNA mapped? 

Mikel Arteta tells me he is not a fan of the word pressure, an external force that may make leaders freeze. He prefers to talk about expectation, desire, and fulfilling tasks. “It’s about putting a lot of focus on leading yourself,” he says. “And making very clear who you want to be, what you want to accomplish in life, what is your purpose, what drives you, what is your passion, and then making sure that you create your ecosystem around you to achieve.”  

Arsenal, the English Premier League champions he manages, used to be the “bridesmaid club”, missing out again and again in the battle for the most lucrative title in world soccer. They were “chokers” who did not have what it takes to be truly elite. 

Last year, that changed, as Arsenal won the title for the first time in 22 years. “We showed very important values not only in sport, but in life,” Arteta said at the time. “Perseverance, to be resilient, to be composed in moments when people are doubting. And to be vulnerable.” Fans were in tears as they celebrated on the streets of North London, Arsenal’s home. 

Leading a squad of 24 soccer players through the roller-coaster of sport is not the same as running a global business. Traits, though, are similar. Arteta is known for strict discipline and for a management approach that follows the “aggregation of marginal gains” rule. Every incremental improvement may appear insignificant, but together they are the difference between winning and the alternative, which in Arteta’s world is not much of an alternative. As Bill Shankly, one of the all-time great managers in English football, once said: “If you are first, you are first. If you are second, you are nothing.” 

For Arteta, health is a “foundational” part of elite level leadership. Which is why he agreed to have his whole genome (the DNA make up of his body) sequenced, to better understand how his body works and the possible future health risks. 

“You have to lead—whether it is your family or your club,” he told me. “You had better look after yourself and you had better lead yourself first. 

“In order to do that, the foundation is your health. I think without that, there is nothing underneath. Your energy, your well-being, your capacity to basically connect with people emotionally, and to be able to handle all the situations, challenges, and the amount of work and stress that we go through daily at work.” 

Arteta partnered with the global healthcare company Bupa, which offers genome sequencing to, the firm says, “better understand how genetics and lifestyle may shape health.” 

“Mikel now has those insights to share with a doctor if he needs them in the future,” said Melvin Samsom, group chief medical officer at Bupa. 

“His results have prompted him to look more closely at his nutrition and choices that........

© Fortune