The Dangerous Hype Of The CEO Who Hardly Sleeps

After-hours texting: “Where are we on this, where are we on that;” phones that are constantly plugged in (because “You have to be reachable!”) and conversations that don’t end.

Work knows no boundaries yet not much of it gets done when it should be.

We’re battling drowsiness, aches and mental strain in front of glowing screens that don’t seem to have an ‘off’ button but we wear our foolish lifestyle like a badge of honour.

This toxic culture of misplaced pride in sleep deprivation is reinforced at the top of an organisation, right from the maniacal boss who believes that being awake round the clock and instantly responsive is proof of efficiency.

Utter bullshit.

If I were a company, I wouldn’t want to be led by a person who doesn’t get enough sleep.

1. This person is likely to have a shortened attention span, memory lapses and a short fuse.

2. They’d probably listen poorly and hear themselves less.

3. They’ll be predisposed to several health risks including a heart attack, in turn putting everyone who relies on them for leadership (and salary approvals) at risk.

4. They’ll be (mysteriously) tired most of the time. Go figure.

5. They might gain more weight than they want to (because sleep deprivation derails a healthy eating habit) and end up having body images issues which they’d take out on other people.

6. They’ll eventually lean more toward bad decisions because sleeplessness will compromise their sense of judgement.

So when a CEO brags about not sleeping, it’s just dangerous hype that leads to a lower quality of life, sliding productivity, ineffectiveness and unrealised potential.

It’s not anything to be proud of or an example to follow.

Good sleep is the actual superpower.