“Hustle porn” will destroy you and your company
How to uncover and inoculate yourself against this disease
Today’s Wall Street Journal described example upon example — including young founders that jumped to their death, hospitalization and being thrown out of the very companies they created. (See eg https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/beyond-the-confetti-the-dark-side-of-startup-success-11562923804). Welcome back fro that read if you left.
Sure these founders — many of them at least — became monetarily wealthy. They bought big homes, fancy new cars and many bought ones for family members and friends.
But, and here is the thing, they are miserable.
They rarely admit to being miserable mind you. They always say they are just “killing it,” Wsj reports.
But the impact of this misery is real on the companies, employees, their families and on investors. And the fix is costly and time consuming.
Let me put it this way if you dont yet feel the pain: If you were an investor in one of these companies and suddenly the founder or c-suite exec fell apart in a way that not only damaged themselves but also the brand (ie stock price took a hit, customers or employees quit in droves), would you care? Youre damn right you would. Youve now lost money and maybe investors in your fund.
Oh but you ask, how do you assess whether someone is On the edge? It is not too difficult. And while you could hire a psych team, save yourself the money if they fail this basic test.
1) they sleep too few, quality hours.
Study after study has been done that establishes the importance of sleep. Studies go further to say that younger brains need sleep to develop and that sleep deprivation in younger than age 27 brains can correlate to bi-polar. Studies correlate sleep heart health too (sleep apnea often an indicator of Afib) and digestion is a secondary indicator of poor sleep.
It is one thing not to sleep before the big pitch or customer meeting. But every night?
It will catch up with you. And while some out there say they “thrive on little sleep”, I havent had the chance to probe them on whether or not they are miserable.
How much sleep is up to you because you know when you wake feeling like crap and when youve slept well.
So, how’s your sleep?
2) they do not work out hard at least an hour a day, four days a week
If your founder or key employee does not speak openly about their mindfulness practice (and we dont expect them to because it is highly person), one great indicator of anti-misery syndrom is a descent weekly dose of self care. A 45–1 hr per week work out or training for marathons is a possible indicator. The caveat is this: so long as it isnt merely a symptom of OCD. Does it also translate into a careful set of eating habits and boundaries on their time? Does their routine vary? The more varied the more they are really breaking with routing and more likely to switch off than those that just work and even those that run 5 miles everyday, day after day. If they have a meditation or breathing practice or your company fosters 15 minute breaks for these pracrices daily — with the gold standard being twice a day — that would really stand out.
3) they take themselves too seriously too often.
Too few executives obtain honest 360 degree feedback early enough or often.
What does it say?
4) they are not surrounded by non-work friends who help them to remember their own humanness.
Connection, studies have shown, contribute to longevity. This is true for many reasons but one reason is empathy. Having close connections around that are not work related (eg dont want anything financial from you or have unconditional ties only) help us to practice empathy. As buddha taught, we must stop asking to be noticed and cared about. What we must do is learn to care for others and to listen and to notice them. Once we do that, deeply, others will develop care for us. The bonus of course is that we will develop care for our selves.
Conclusion
Run your folks and yourselves thru these questions and address them. Take it from me who has had clients fall apart. You cannot spend your money if you are in chronic pain, too ill to sit up or focus or worse.
Gregory teaches meditation, is a lawyer for founders and investors and is a certified trauma professional thru the International Asson of Trauma Professionals. Check out my podcast thru www.thepanicproject.com.
