Being the CEO of an organization is no easy task. The duties largely include constant decision-making in high-pressure situations and always having a problem-solving attitude. These high-stakes scenarios can often lead to mounting stress, causing physical and mental burnout. To overcome this, most CEOs focus on maintaining physical fitness to maintain peak performance. Disney CEO Bob Iger and other notable leaders like Tim Cook, Richard Branson, and Mark Zuckerberg have publicly advocated the value of exercise, which helps them stay sharp and effective.
Iger recently appeared on In Good Company, a podcast by Nicolai Tangen, CEO of Norway’s Bank Investment Management. For Iger, waking up at 4 a.m. and exercising for around 45 minutes is not merely a routine but a physical and mental requisite. According to him, it gives him enough mental clarity to face the daily challenges with confidence and focus.
Fitness as a Tool for Control and Clarity
For CEOs, chaos is an everyday reality. Running an organization and guiding teams to a long-demonstrated vision requires a well-honed, innovative, and sharp mind with extreme emotional intelligence. Iger, in his memoir, The Ride of a Lifetime, has talked about qualities like emotional intelligence and cognitive thinking that helped him shape decisive business moments such as acquiring Pixar and launching Disney+.
He believes that exercise plays a vital role in cultivating these leadership qualities. Workouts act as a vent for stress and also help you gain a sense of control in the inherently unpredictable entrepreneurial world.
A consistent fitness routine offers CEOs a rare constant, something they can depend on even amidst the day’s uncertainties. This clarity enables prudent decision-making and approaching challenges with a winning mindset.
Apart from relieving stress, physical fitness also enhances overall performance. It reduces mental clutter, allowing leaders to focus on strategic thinking to come up with innovative solutions. Iger’s experiences demonstrate that this clarity will help differentiate between navigating crises effectively and succumbing to pressure.
Building Endurance for an Endless Season
Being the CEO of an organization is like being an athlete who never ever gets time out of the field. The role of business leadership demands endurance, resilience, and fast recovery, qualities similar to a training program to achieve physical fitness.
In The Ride of a Lifetime, Iger recalls facing political tensions in China and creative differences with George Lucas during the acquisitions of Lucasfilm. Overcoming these challenges required mental calmness, patience, and strategic decision-making, which he already had due to his physical fitness. Iger noted, “Staying in shape and having stamina is critical for me, and that’s eating well, exercising, and just taking care of my body and my mind. I could not do this job if I were not in some form of physical and mental health.”
Regular exercise makes the body stronger and the mind sharper, making it easier for leaders to cope with the never-ending demands of their roles. For Iger, this is more than a recommendation; it’s downright a core principle of leadership. A strong and resilient body fuels the focused mind that allows CEOs to stay composed even in the direst of challenges.
The Ripple Effect of a Fit Leader
Fitness is not merely a personal endeavor for CEOs; it is a leadership strategy. It infuses health, vibrancy, destiny, and action, which is contagious for employees, stakeholders, and even clients. When such leaders feel at their best physically and mentally, organizations reap the benefits.
As Iger describes, physical fitness adds to productivity, creativity, and decision-making. It is not a luxury but a necessity in today’s high-pressure business environment. He echoes President John F. Kennedy’s words, “Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.”
For CEOs like Bob Iger, staying physically fit is not only about maintaining personal health but also about staying ahead in the competitive world. With regular exercise, a person gains discipline and clarity that eventually empowers them to handle the challenges of leadership with better focus and resilience.
