The Sleeper Business Strategy: Personal Health

Why are sleepless nights, late evening fast food dinners at the office, and unused gym memberships the badges of honor for driven entrepreneurs and aspiring business leaders? Believe me, I’m the worst offender. I realize there are only so many hours in a day and only so many hands to do the work, but at what cost? Is the strain of overworked, malnutritioned, and out-of-shape employees (and founders) a critical weakness that’s all too often under-appreciated and overlooked? I think so.

Instead of a glorified right-of-passage, shouldn’t lack of sleep and poor nutrition be seen as the achilles heal of a company? We meticulously protect our servers and laptops with virus firewalls, optimize our software with the latest advances, and barricade our intellectual property with expensive patents and litigation, yet we let our core assets, our employees and team, flounder on half-functioning brain activity and depressed endorphins. Personal health needs to become a core competitive advantage, not an unfortunate casualty of success.

This is how Gary Erickson of Clif Bar maintains his competitive advantage.

Clif offers its 182 Berkeley employees 32 fitness classes a week in an on-site gym/studio, supports two and a half hours per week of on-the-clock workouts, and reimburses up to $350 for race fees. Two full-time staff trainers provide one-on-one sessions and coordinate with the company’s wellness manager to create constantly evolving athletic programs; this spring, one trainer gave dawn-patrol surfing lessons. “We ask people what they want,” says Clif’s strength-and-conditioning coach, Stephanie Wu, “and management encourages us to give it to them.”

Exercise improves what scientists call “executive function,” the set of abilities that allows you to select behavior that’s appropriate to the situation, inhibit inappropriate behavior and focus on the job at hand in spite of distractions.
“I like to say that exercise is like taking a little Prozac or a little Ritalin at just the right moment,” says John J. Ratey, MD, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Business efficiency and productivity enhancements ranging from sugar/caffeine consumable products to management consultants are multibillion dollar industries driven by businesses striving for this same level of “executive function” and greater efficiency in production. But, instead of cheap parlor tricks and management gurus, what we really need is better feeling, well rested, and happier workers. No amount of venti sized Starbucks or 5 Hour Engery shots can sustain the same level of cognitive brain functionality as a full night’s sleep. In fact, studies conclude that sleep deprivation is just as dangerous as excessive alcohol when driving. Do you want a drunk behind the wheel of your business?

It’s about time we all take a look at how our work life is affecting our personal health choices. And, more importantly, how our personal health choices are affecting the growth of our businesses and careers. Your body is the greatest tool you will ever own. Your brain is the greatest advantage you will ever have. Take care of them.

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