Gina Mastantuono, president and chief financial officer of software company ServiceNow, argued at a Fortune event in Santa Barbara, California, that corporate leaders must reject the badge of honor attached to 14-hour workdays and four hours of sleep.
Athletic Recovery Principles Improve Executive Performance
- Mastantuono challenged the corporate status quo, noting that grueling work schedules set a poor example for teams.
- The ServiceNow CFO stated that elite athletic recovery principles apply directly to executive performance.
- Panelists at the Santa Barbara event noted that 94% of female C-suite executives played sports growing up.
The Cost of Executive Exhaustion
Working long hours and sleeping minimally continues to pass for dedication within the executive suite, according to Mastantuono. ServiceNow carries a market capitalization of $157 billion. The CFO stated that extreme hours create an implied, unwritten expectation for employees to adopt identical unhealthy practices.
“There’s always been this idea that if you have to work 14-hour days and get four hours of sleep, that shows you’re working the hardest and deserve the most,” Mastantuono said at the gathering earlier this month. “That is such a terrible example for the people around us.”
Drawing Parallels From Competitive Sports
Mastantuono joined Olympic champion Janet Evans and Deloitte’s U.S. sports chief commercial officer and women’s sports leader Alicia Hatch on the panel in Santa Barbara. The discussion examined how executive leadership mirrors elite athletic performance. Mastantuono championed personal fitness as a driver for better listening and steadier decision-making under pressure.
“When we do focus on taking care of ourselves, then we are much better bosses, much better colleagues, much better parents,” Mastantuono said.
Hatch noted that 94% of female C-suite executives participated in sports during their youth. She described athletics as a crucial simulator for continuous performance amid changing circumstances.
| Participant | Role | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| Gina Mastantuono | President and CFO | ServiceNow ($157B market cap) |
| Janet Evans | Olympic Champion | |
| Alicia Hatch | U.S. Sports Chief Commercial Officer and women’s sports leader | Deloitte |
Adaptability and Recovery in Leadership
Evans added that athletic training teaches competitors to commit to goals without locking into a single path. That adaptability prepares leaders to handle high-stakes environments where decisions require execution without complete information.
“We face this every single day,” Hatch said regarding the pressure of making consequential choices with many people watching.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
