The truth is it’s extremely difficult, and I’ve found that rather than just managing my time and my calendar, I need to maximize my impact by consciously managing my energy. Similar to athletes, I have to prepare myself physically and mentally so I can perform at my best. It’s the only way I’ll have the energy I need as CEO and for the most important titles I hold: dad and husband.
If I had to sum up the secret to doing this successfully in one word, I’d say it all comes down to discipline. I have been working at this for many years, and I’ve come up with a series of habits to help ensure I have more energy for Novartis and for my family. I’ve shared those habits below, but of course everyone needs to find what works for them.
I do not always get this right. I fail often. Sometimes I hit snooze and skip exercising in the morning. Long-haul jet lag takes a heavy physical toll on me, even though my routine aims to minimize the effect. I miss too many of my kids’ events, though I go whenever I can. I have learned to be kind to myself and am always working to improve. All I can do is go to bed determined to do better when I wake up. Sometimes that is what it’s all about—changing one thing, making a better next decision, and making tomorrow a little bit better than today.
Mindset
Having a positive, purposeful, present mindset is one of the keys of leadership and happiness. Maintaining a clear and present mind takes work, especially if I want to be focused, open-minded, and fully present during packed days with back-to-back meetings.
- I meditate most days using an app, and I try to reflect on my personal vision: “Improve myself, inspire a healthier world.”
- I monitor my self-talk for going “below the line.” It can mean the difference between living in a world of fight or flight versus a world of possibilities.
- I always try to remind myself of these three things that make people (including me) unhappy: worrying about things we cannot control, creating drama out of the little things (and most things in life are little), and not being fully present.
- I try to read things unrelated to Novartis, like books on history, science, and leadership and periodicals like National Geographic, The Economist, and Harvard Business Review.
- I read the Tao Te Ching and the Bhagavad Gita at least once a year to ground myself.
Movement
For centuries we have known that movement and exercise improves health, mood, mental acuity, and probably longevity.
- I exercise intensely six days a week for 45-60 minutes, usually early in the morning, using a virtual training app. There are many fitness approaches, and I find the key is to do whatever you do consistently.
- I take the stairs or walkways wherever I can, avoiding escalators and people-movers.
- I try to find reasons to walk to other buildings on the Novartis campus.
Nutrition
What we eat impacts our mood, our mental capabilities, our emotions, and our wakefulness. I ask myself—why am I eating? Is it for performance, for enjoyment, or because of anxiety?
- I am a lifelong vegetarian—it is how I was raised—and I plan meals around my schedule, ensuring I eat to maximize performance during work days. I try to be very mindful about what I eat during business meals, and I have nuts and dark chocolate as snacks (probably too much on some days).
- We tend to live in a dehydrated state, so I drink a glass of water before bed and first thing when I wake up. During the day I try to drink water at least every few hours. (I also don’t add sugar to any drinks and do not drink any carbonated beverages.)
- During the week I fast 15-16 hours a day, usually from dinner until lunch, taking only coffee, water, and a protein supplement. I’ve done a lot of personal research on the benefits of fasting, and I do find it works for me.
- With all of that said, on the weekends I relax my routine and often eat for pleasure with my family. I have a few things I cannot resist indulging in: dark chocolate, pour-over coffee, good red wine, and small-batch gin.
Recovery
Recovery is perhaps the most important element for a healthy, high-energy life—and the one that I often neglect the most.
- I try to sleep 7 hours every night, and I take 20 minute power naps when traveling and when jet lagged. Consistently, studies show that sleeping has powerful positive impact on health and on our mental state.
- I do my best to take my weekends off and to not send emails from Friday at 10:00 p.m. until Monday morning unless absolutely critical. I’m aware that any one email I send can lead to 100-500 subsequent emails in the organization.
- I take all of my vacation days (my wife and I love exploring the world with our sons), and I try to fully disconnect during vacation. I check my email only once in the morning and once before bed.
While these habits won’t be right for everyone, I encourage you to think about how you can maximize your impact and manage your energy vs. your time. I believe it’s a fundamental shift for any leader, whether you are managing an entire organization, a small team, a family, or even just yourself.
Source: This story was originally posted on LinkedIn by Mr. Vas Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis. He is passionate about reimagining medicine, cultural transformation and the journey of leadership. Working with a dedicated team to build a leading medicines company globally, powered by advanced therapy platforms and data science.
