792. Expert Interview: Don't Work Longer, Work Stronger

Pete Leibman

Pete Leibman is a consultant, speaker, and bestselling author who has been featured on Fox News, CBS Radio, and CNNMoney.com. He’s the creator of StrongerHabits.com and his latest book is an Amazon bestseller. It’s called “Work Stronger; Habits for More Energy, Less Stress, and Higher Performance at Work.” Before writing “Work Stronger,” Pete worked as an executive recruiter at Heidrick & Struggles, one of the world’s premier executive search firms. In his free time, he teaches one of the largest group exercise classes in the Washington, DC area.

Don't Work Longer, Work Stronger

“I worked at Heidrick and Struggles, which is one of the top global executive recruiting firms. In that role I interviewed hundreds of leaders for various executive positions and really got to see up close just how much pressure that leaders face in today’s world. And it’s not just leaders, it can be people at any level. There’s a lot of pressure to work longer hours, to be on call 24/7 and a lot of people buy into this myth that the longer you work the more productive you’ll be. One of my key messages is that it’s stronger hours, not longer hours. That’s the key to being your best at work and outside of work.”

Why Is This Important?

“A lot of people don’t stop to realize that when they try to work longer they need to cut out some time somewhere else. And where do most people choose to cut? They cut out sleep, they cut out exercise, they cut out time with friends and family, they cut out personal interests—all of the activities that are going to give you juice and energy and help you show up at work refreshed and at your best. So the message ‘work stronger’ is more about what you do with your time as opposed to how many hours that you actually work. And you know, by forming stronger habits in a few key areas, you’re going to achieve far more, in less time and with less stress.”

What Are the Key Lessons Learned Here?

“There’s a framework that I talk about that I call The Stronger Cycle. It’s all about forming stronger habits in four key areas that impact how each one of us feels and performs each day: Focus, Renew, Fuel, Sweat.

1. Focus
So how do you actually structure and go through your day? Largely due to technology, we’re becoming more and more distracted. There are more and more interruptions throughout the day and it’s becoming harder and harder to actually focus on the task at hand.

2. Renew
Renew is really about sleep and mindfulness and disconnecting from technology and from work and renewing your energy outside of work—so that when you show up at work, you’re refreshed and you’re at your best.

3. Fuel
Fuel is all about nutrition. What we eat has a big impact on us physically, but a lot of people don’t recognize that your eating habits also impact the way your brain performs. Poor eating habits actually cause your brain to age faster and to get smaller.

4. Sweat
We all know the impact of how active or sedentary you are impacts us physically, but there are also tremendous mental and emotional benefits to a more active lifestyle. Certain types of exercise can even help you grow new brain cells.

“These four areas have a huge impact on how you’re going to feel and perform at work and outside of work, too.”