ServiceNow CFO says leaders working 14 hours and getting 4 hours of sleep set a ‘terrible example’ for their employees | Fortune
Gina Mastantuono, the President and Chief Financial Officer of ServiceNow, is challenging the traditional corporate badge of honor regarding sleep deprivation and extreme work hours. During the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit held in Santa Barbara, California, on Tuesday, the executive argued that senior leaders who boast about working 14-hour days on only four hours of sleep are actually setting a damaging precedent for their organizations. Mastantuono, an advocate for physical fitness and its role in leadership, noted that while the concept of recovery has become mainstream in the sports world, it has yet to be fully embraced by the business community.
Terrible Example for Employees
In a conversation with Alicia Hatch, the U.S. Sports chief commercial officer and women’s sports leader at Deloitte, Mastantuono described these habits as toxic. She explained that there is a lingering belief in corporate circles that working the longest hours and sacrificing sleep proves a person is the hardest worker and most deserving of success. However, Mastantuono told Hatch that such behavior is a terrible example for the people around us.
According to the ServiceNow executive, prioritizing self-care allows leaders to remain calm under pressure and listen more effectively rather than simply reacting to stressors. This shift in approach, she claimed, has enabled her own teams to perform with greater efficiency. Mastantuono suggested that when leaders take care of themselves, they become better colleagues, parents, and bosses.
Recovery IS Part of Performance
Mastantuono emphasized that recovery should be viewed as an essential component of high performance rather than a secondary concern. She used a fitness analogy to illustrate her point, stating that muscle growth
Source: fortune.com · 2026-10-16