CEOs who lift who lift weights perform better and what that means for the corporate employee..
Get fitter than your colleague to get ahead at the workplace
Did you know that CEOs who lift weights often lead companies that outperform the market?
Online millionaire Pieter Levels, known online as levelsio, uses an interesting investment criteria.
According to his viral tweet companies with CEOs that lift weights or do fight sports outperformed the S&P 500 by 140%.
His creation, the ‘Deadlift ETF’ comprises of companies with ultra-fit CEOs and founders and includes the likes of Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, and Jensen Huang of Nvidia.
Brian Chesky, the CEO of Airbnb felt a bit left out and was later added to the list. This trend isn’t limited to Western CEOs—leaders in India are also recognizing the importance of physical fitness.
Despite the fact that the majority of businesses in India are still dominated by the ‘lalaji mindset’, we have evolved to develop our own breed of ultra-fit CEOs like Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal and Zerodha’s Nithin Kamath,
Now….. of course this is at best a correlation between fitness and the market performance of their companies.
However, it is undeniable that some of the busiest and highest-performing people on planet Earth make time for their physical fitness.
Physical fitness can never be bought, it has to be earned!
So no matter how much money these guys have, they had to put in the time and the work, just like the rest of us…
The burning question. WHY!!!!!
Personal health and fitness is at least a part-time job. It requires regular exercise sessions, organizing meals, staying active throughout the day, and scheduling time for proper sleep.
This is time they could be used to give better returns to shareholders!
Reason 1: Performance
The IDEA 💡
The idea of a healthy body leading to a healthy mind is deeply ingrained in ancient Greek philosophy, particularly associated with Hippocrates.
The 2008 book ‘Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain’ by John J. Ratey was one of the early books that highlighted the benefits of exercise and healthy
It has become a known fact that exercise and physical fitness are essential for long-term mental performance on the job. Regular exercise improves cognition, mood, memory, learning, attention, and focus and protects against age-related cognitive decline.
CEOs want sharp employees not saggy dimwits
Reason 2: Self-confidence
In recently chatted with a high-ranking Zomato executive and he revealed that the main benefit he got from transforming his was that it made him feel like he had ‘a presence in the room’.
Even at the highest level, personal success fuels professional success, and personal troubles fuel professional trouble. Having a degree of mastery over one's health and body is one of the greatest forms of personal success.
In addition to gaining ‘pretty privilege’ there is a degree of confidence that comes from feeling ‘capable’ with your body. This self-confidence translates to your work interactions.
Reason 3: Happiness
The life of a founder or top-level executive is highly stressful and a space outside of work or home, where they take for themselves is important for the quality of their life.
The same Zomato executive mentioned to me ‘My exercise time is sacrosanct, that is my time’, revealing the true importance of that exercise session. That is to take time our for oneself.
A 2007 study found that individuals who detach from work during their personal time report less fatigue and burnout, with higher levels of well-being and job satisfaction.
Making time for oneself is important for long-term success and resilience and your daily workout is a way to consistently do so.
The ‘harsh reality’ for Corporate Employees who neglect health
There is a good chance that your boss, a high-performing and busy individual, makes time for his/her health and values this characteristic in their employees.
Neglecting your health in favor of ‘work’ is no longer viewed as a positive virtue and being ‘too busy’ to take care of yourself is no longer an acceptable excuse.
The Upside ⬆️
Taking time out to work on your health, both physical and mental will be viewed as a positive action by your bosses.
They want you to take time to work on you!
Deepinder Goyal of Zomato has explicitly stated:
‘I believe companies need to remove the stigma around employees taking the time to care about fitness whilst at work - because only when people are healthy, they are equipped to accept and face the hardest challenges life throws at them. ‘
A Great Way to Start!
Tip 1: Do not complicate it.
Start by doing what you already do every day, but just a little bit better. You eat, sleep, and move every day. You have to! Do them better..
Eat a bit better, move a bit more, and prioritize sleep. Doing just these three things will make a drastic difference.
Tip 2: Set a rule of minimums
Instead of focusing on what is the best thing you can do for your health every day, set a rule of what is the bare minimum you will do.
Focusing on the most you can do in a day is intimidating and when you don’t meet your high standards, it disheartens you.
Instead, set a rule of the bare minimum you will do every day, and slowly build on that minimum
Tip 3: Be patient, your little shifts compound over time
Small shifts and seemingly insignificant changes compound over time.
What starts as a small win or a minor setback accumulates into something much more. You’ll be surprised.
Hit your minimums on a daily basis and you’ll see them grow over time
A Simple Starter Plan -
Cut out added sugar or one other unhealthy indulgence you do daily.
Accumulate 10,000 steps a day
Workout 20-30min per day - 4 movements you feel comfortable executing, done as many times as you can in a minute 2-3 times each (eg - squat, push-ups, pull-ups, surya namaskar,s etc)
Prioritise sleep - set a bed time and wake time, 8 hours apart, stick to it
The Jist
Physical fitness has become a corporate virtue, much like being timely, efficient and easy to work with. Your boss notices that belly buldge through your white shirt and he doesn’t like it, in fact, he judges you for it. Be good at your work, but also be good at managing yourself, they work hand in hand.