Doing something relaxing and fun can help busy leaders reduce stress, improve their energy levels or just give them some much-needed time away from work.
Many CEOs have commented that what they do in their downtime actually helps their productivity at work. Marissa Mayer, for instance, has noted that her hobbies help her “come up with new and innovative ways of looking at things.”
Having an outlet away from the office can even help a CEO with recruitment. Daniel Abrams, CEO of Masslight, picked up ultimate frisbee to blow off some steam. He ended up meeting and hiring some of the company’s software engineers through the games.
Here’s how some of the best minds in business take a break:
Richard Branson, founder of Virgin
Chess
Branson has blurred the lines between work and fun more than most, with projects including signing punk bands, running nightclubs and founding an orbital space launch system. But even the tireless entrepreneur needs some downtime and he once wrote a blog where he opined that chess “may just be the best game in the world”.
In both business & chess, you need to focus upon the present while planning your next moves http://t.co/pIIcJx5zXN
— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) June 24, 2013
Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, author
Watching TV
By day, she is one of the most influential business leaders on the planet. By night? According to this Quora post, Sandberg relaxes with some television. Her particular preference is what her husband terms “bad TV”.
Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple
Segway polo
Always something of an eccentric figure, the entrepreneur, scientist and programmer is partial to this little-known sport, even lending his name to a tournament in Germany that he also played in. “Segway polo is the one thing I will block off my calendar for,” he says.
Marissa Mayer, former CEO of Yahoo!
Baking
One of the most high-profile executives in digital, Mayer would break up her legendary work routine (she regularly logged 130-hour weeks) by making cupcakes. It wasn’t a case of her throwing a packet mix together and hoping for the best, however – Mayer would record every detail of the cupcakes she made on meticulous spreadsheets in search of the perfect recipe.
Today, March 2nd, @Yahoo! turns 18! Yesterday, we celebrated with an amazing cake 🙂 http://t.co/TOaqEg5iFa
— marissamayer (@marissamayer) March 2, 2013
Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway
Playing ukulele
Research suggests there are both physical and mental health benefits in playing a musical instrument, and the master investor has been playing since the 40s, when he would serenade dates with a ukulele tune.
Today, he still enjoys playing and even did a duet with Jon Bon Jovi at a charity event.
