June 4, 2020

Hi Gang,

Remember when we released the results of the Vital Signs Pulse Check and found that, more than anything, people are just really, really TIRED? Man. I miss those times. We need a new word for tired. A new word for weird. A new word for furious. A new acronym for “WTF” – these are all such understatements at this point.

This morning, we hosted another Virtual Summit for a small group of biotech CEOs. One of the biggest challenges they are facing is trying to energize a team while also battling their own fatigue and emotions. I always think about this at the gym… I show up stressed out, exhausted, in need of a mental break, and that instructor is up there pumping EVERY! OUNCE! OF ENERGY! into the room. That one person’s energy has the strength to lift 25 people. By the end of the hour, everyone’s feeling empowered, accomplished, reset. BOOM! BACK ON THE HORSE! But how do leaders do this nonstop when all eyes are on them, all the time? And how to they replete their own energy day in and day out?

One of the strangest things about becoming a CEO, I’m told, is people immediately start looking at you differently. If the CEO is in bad mood, employees worry about the health of the company. If the CEO asks questions, employees wonder if there’s a problem underneath those questions. CEOs can’t just check in for a friendly chat with employees without them thinking, on some level, “I’m meeting with the CEO. I need to be careful how I behave.”

You often hear the phrase, “It’s lonely at the top.” And that’s true. But in reality, EVERY leader feels this way, especially the CEO. You are in good company up there! To that end, if you’d like to meet with peers to share ideas and concerns in a confidential conversation, please let us know – we can help. Also, get a Peloton. It’s worth it.

News & Resources

• 5 Ways Leaders Accidentally Stress Out Their Employees – don’t be that guy (or girl)

• How Sleep Has Changed in the Pandemic: Insomnia, Late Bedtimes, Weird Dreams – the weird dreams is a major thing, right? So many. So weird.

• How To Get Sleep In Uneasy Times

• '3-day weekends are better': Andrew Yang says the US should 'seriously' consider switching to a 4-day workweek to boost people's mental health – YES. Let’s just all agree on this, can we?

Food Fight – send me yours!

Another second-time winner! Love this, Onaiza Jilani Cadoret-Manier, EVP, Chief Corporate Development and Commercial Officer at Ionis! (A good story ups your odds, folks… take note…)

Chef’s comments: My teenage daughter and I spent time last summer teaching English in Morocco. The literacy gap is wide, as we know. We fell In love with the people and the food! My daughter ate Tagine virtually every day 😊 Her is my rendition of lamb tagine with slivered almonds and prunes for her birthday dinner.” (recipe to come in the Vital Signs Cookbook)

A Little Levity

Be well,

Jackie