Why Great Leaders Prioritize Sleep for Peak Performance

A note to young leaders.
Sleep. The talented team you lead deserves a well-rested leader.

When I mentor, one of the first questions I ask is: How many hours of sleep do you get each day? How well do you sleep?

The science is in.
The percentage of the population which functions at its best with less than seven hours of sleep each day – rounded to the nearest whole number, is … zero. Very, very few people can function at their best on 5-hours of sleep per day.
The consequences of inadequate or poor-quality sleep are dire. You get sick more easily, more often, and for longer; you are cognitively duller and your memory’s impaired; you are less empathetic, less creative, and more irritable. Your tolerance for stress is much lower.

Sleep also affects our judgement. Researchers have found that sleep- deprived judges – in this case, due to the shift to daylight saving time in the spring – gave out harsher sentences compared with well-rested judges.
So, do yourself and your team a favour – sleep. Your best requires rest.