IT’S SIMPLY A MATTER OF GETTING INTO A ROUTINE
ACCORDING TO A NEW SURVEY OF CEOS FROM INC. MAGAZINE'S LATEST RANKING OF THE FASTEST-GROWING PRIVATE COMPANIES IN AMERICA, THE MAJORITY OF SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS LEADERS GET UP NO LATER THAN 6 A.M. ACCORDING TO A SURVEY OF 1,086 CEOS OF U.S. COMPANIES ON THE 2022 INC. 5000 LIST, 64% GET UP BY 6 A.M. OR EARLIER. ALMOST ALL OF THE CEOS POLLED RISE NO LATER THAN 7 A.M.
You don't have to get up at 3:45 a.m. to be successful just because Apple CEO Tim Cook does. Many high-profile and highly successful entrepreneurs and CEOs, on the other hand, get up at the crack of dawn — or earlier — to get a head start on their busy schedules.
Here are the most popular wake-up times according to the survey:
6 a.m. (39% of those polled)
5 a.m. (29%)
7 a.m. (25%)
8 a.m. (7%)
Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc., is unsurprised: Mornings may be one of the few quiet times in any CEO's day.
"Mornings, in particular, prove to be the time that allows a lot of the entrepreneurs I talk to focus," Omelianuk tells CNBC Make It, adding: "There's this moment of quiet, where you can focus on the issues of the day, whether that's making a list or thinking through a problem strategically." But it's that time when they can think for themselves before everything that could derail the perfect day begins to happen."
Is it worth sacrificing sleep to focus?
Sleep scientists are adamant that humans require seven to nine hours of sleep per night, regardless of how early they have to get up for work. A good night's sleep can improve your physical and mental health, as well as make you more productive. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos says he always aims for eight hours of sleep per night because it gives him energy and allows him to "think better."
Some experts argue that humans are more productive in the early hours of the morning simply because there are fewer distractions. Tim Cook has previously expressed this sentiment to explain his own early-rising habit. "I can control the morning better than I can control the evening and throughout the day," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a 2021 interview. "Things happen during the day that throws you off course."
Omelianuk points out that the average business leader may not be able to sleep in the first place: "Especially at startups and small businesses, CEOs may not have the budget for a support staff, making them all the more overworked as they attempt to tackle their long list of responsibilities on a regular basis." and "In general, entrepreneurs don't get enough sleep," he says.
Some CEOs and business owners prefer to work uninterrupted in the mornings. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, for example, has stated that he typically reads "critical emails" for half an hour after waking up — a habit he is now attempting to replace.
Others put their health first. Cook spends his mornings reading user reviews of Apple products and working out at the gym: In 2018, he told HBO's "Axios on HBO" that an early workout "keeps my stress at bay."
Science backs up the sentiment: Psychologist Joel Dvoskin recently told CNBC Make It that enjoying some quiet time in the early morning and engaging in physical activity before work can improve productivity and mental health.
This is especially important for CEOs, many of whom are concerned about the mental toll that running a business can take.
When asked to list their top concerns as entrepreneurs, 46% of the 1,086 CEOs polled by Inc. cited "fear of failure." Many people are concerned about the mental health risks of running a business, with 43% reporting "exacerbated anxiety" and 15% reporting an increased risk of depression among founders.
Omelianuk says it’s actually a good sign that so many CEOs feel comfortable identifying mental health as a concern, considering the existing stigma around it. The early wakeups, he says, may even have something to do with finding ways to manage the stress of their jobs.
“It’s just a matter of establishing a routine,” he says. “And for a lot of founders, that is the only time when they get to have a routine.”
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