Myth of the Tireless Leader

Couple of days ago I wrote about Sleep. Couple of days ago Larry Summers fell asleep in a big meeting. Larry is the key guy in Obama's Administration and is being seen as the saviour from financial Tsunami in US.

I picked up the below from a Business Blog.

And the White House press corps snapped a battery of photos to share that news around the world. Like most everyone, I suspect, I giggled at his embarrassing moment and wondered how those in the room felt about the doze.
We've all been in meetings when someone has dozed off. It usually means the person is either deeply disengaged, or more likely exhausted. Summers is clearly the latter, presumably driving himself round the clock, sleeping minimally, to unwind this crisis.

Good for him, some might say. These are trying times that demand leaders who would forgo rest to solve our problems.

No doubt, demonstrating insane stamina on the job is some kind of alpha dog badge of honor. Part of the idolatry of that subspecies of leader known as an NFL coach, for example, comes from their preposterous work habits. And I still recall an unnerving New York Times article from 1997 about various high profile business leaders (including Disney's current CEO Robert Iger, PR guru Howard Rubenstein, and then-book publisher Judith Regan), boasting about how little sleep they needed.

Unfortunately, the myth of the tireless leader is just that--a myth. The ugly truth about sleeplessness is that it's linked to obesity, diabetes, depression and, yes, increased mortality. Forgoing sleep doesn't make you a hero. It makes you ineffective.

I make better spot decisions when I've had a good night's sleep--and better decisions still, having thought about them over a good night's sleep. And I try to manage employees guided by my own experience. I don't want the new mother dragging herself back from maternity leave at six weeks if she's exhausted. I'd rather cope without her for a few more weeks and have her back "whole" and rested. I don't want people traveling on a red eye and heading straight into a busy day just so they won't "waste" the day.

In fact, getting that rest isn't a waste at all. They'll do better work. And you'll be a better leader for having let them sleep.

As for Summers, he should be well aware of the toll of running himself ragged. Neil Rudenstine, former president of Harvard University, was forced to take a leave of absence to deal with "exhaustion." What good will Summers be for helping sort out the crisis if he's forced to take a leave or collapses on the job?

Even if he survives this all, I'd feel better if he weren't debilitated by exhaustion as he makes decisions that will affect all of us for years to come.

Maybe Summers' impromptu nap shouldn't make us giggle so much as worry.

May be some people I know, should also read this, and go to bed early.

After all - "Early to bed and early to rise, may Jack healthy, wealthy & wise."