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| Sir Richard Branson running the London marathon from Flickr |
According to researchers, CEOs (in S and P companies) who have run marathons had 5 % greater value at leading their firms.
Due to high stress levels because of frequent changing demand in their jobs, making far reaching decisions accompanied by media scrutiny, fitness play an important role for CEOs.
The CEOs were found to have a positive impact especially in cases where CEO's were above median age and tenure at the company and in cases where the CEOs had a particularly heavy workload. Among this group, completing a marathon was associated with an 8-10 percent increase in company value.
According to researchers, this is due to running's buffering effects on stress and its positive impact on cognitive functions, executive control processes and job performances.
Case in point, I have a patient who's the CEO of their American office here in Singapore and when I told her about this study she agreed with the researchers' conclusion. She had just gone out for a 28 km run before she came to see me on Saturday and she shared that she "solved her all problems" while running. Usually if she has yet to make up her mind on any issues, she's able to think through, analyse and decide what she wants to do by the end of the run.
Come to think of it, I've also treated various other patients who hold high positions in their jobs and many run, do triathlons and other exercises citing similar reasons.
Reference
Limbach P and Sonnerbach F (2014). CEO Fitness And Firm Value. Social Sci Research Network. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2489967
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