Cambridge Business Association
Can Sleep Leadership Help Banish Burnout
Article

Can Sleep Leadership Help Banish Burnout

Kate Morgan
BBC, 2022
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Employee well-being has received a lot of attention in recent years. So far, corporate well-being initiatives have mainly focused on nutrition, exercise and meditation. Yet companies won’t be able to help employees feel better and become more productive if they don’t help them do one thing first: get the eight hours of quality sleep they need to function at their best. Journalist Kate Morgan offers case studies of sleep leadership pioneers. These studies make a convincing case for why leaders must start prioritizing sleep in their own lives and in those of their employees.

Summary

Basecamp CEO Jason Fried takes on a pioneering role for modeling sleep leadership.

Many people admire successful leaders who claim to get by with just a few hours of sleep per night. Many high-achieving professionals, especially in the tech industry, often use the mantra, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” Jason Fried, CEO of US software company Basecamp, is pushing back against this trend. He argues that getting a good night’s sleep is essential for good leadership – as well as for being a productive employee.

Fried not only prioritizes sleep in his life, he also actively promotes the importance of getting eight hours of sleep per night within his company. Based on his “eight-eight-eight” model...

About the Author

Kate Morgan is a freelance journalist based in Philadelphia. 

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