The Organizational Cost of Insufficient Sleep

WHY ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD CARE ABOUT HOW WELL YOU SLEEP THE LEADERSHIP LINK Our research identified four types of leadership behavior most commonly associated with high-quality leadership teams.' Development of insight Pattern Creativity recognition Solving problems Emotional Learning and memory reactivity Seeking different Sleep affects mental capacities linked to all four types Supporting others Socioemotional processing perspectives of leadership behavior. Decision Developing making trusted relationships Results orientation Attention Concentration WHY BRAINS NEED SLEEP In the human brain, the prefrontal cortex directs all the higher-order cognitive processes. Planning and executing plans Problem solving Reasoning Organizing All leadership behavior relies on the prefrontal cortex. And, while other brain areas can cope relatively well with too little sleep, the prefrontal cortex cannot.? The consequences of skipping sleep may include diminished performance. A person's performance on tasks... ..after ...after 17 HOURS OF ~20 HOURS OF WAKEFULNESS, is equivalent to someone with a blood-alcohol WAKEFULNESS, a person's performance on tasks is equivalent to someone with a blood alcohol level of 0.05%–the LEGAL DRINKING LIMIT in most countries.3 level of 0.1%-ie, LEGALLY DRUNK. WHAT EXECUTIVES SAY In our survey of 180 business leaders, comments ranged from organizational improvements to admission of bad habits. 83% NEARLY 50% 35% said their organization was not spending enough time educating its leaders about the importance of sleep. believe lack of sleep has little impact on said that their organizations do not allow them to make leadership performance. getting enough sleep a priority. 6 OUT OF 10 do not sleep enough at least three nights a week. 4 OUT OF 10 say they do not get enough sleep four nights a week or more. 77% 49% check email in bed. of surveyed leaders have a phone by their bed. For more, see Nick Van Dam and Els van der Helm, "The organizational cost of insufficient sleep," McKinsey Quarterly, on mckinsey.com. "Based on a study of 81 organizations and 189,000 people around the world; "Decoding leadership: What really matters", McKinsey Quarterly January 2015. 2 Jeffrey S. Durmer, M.D., Ph.D. and David F. Dinges, Ph.D., "Neurocognitive Consequences of Sleep Deprivation." Feyer, "Moderate sle prescribed levels of alcohol intoxication," Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Oct 2000. 3A. M. Williamson and Anne-Mar produces impairments in cognitive and r performance equivalent to legally McKinsey&Company