It is scarcely news that inadequate nutrition, exercise, and rest diminish our basic energy levels. Nonetheless, many executives don’t practice healthy behaviors, given all the other demands in their lives. When Gary Faro, from Wachovia Bank, began our program, he was overweight, lacked an exercise routine and slept for five hours a night. That is not unusual among the leaders we see. Faro began cardiovascular training, started going to bed at a designated time and changed from two big meals a day to smaller meals every three hours. He lost weight, and his energy soared. ‘I used to schedule tough projects for the morning, when I knew that I would be more focused,’ Faro says. ‘I don’t have to do that anymore because I find that I’m just as focused now at 5 pm as I am at 8 am.’ Faro also began taking brief breaks, leaving his desk at specific intervals. The value of such breaks is grounded in our physiology. ‘Ultradian rhythms’ are 90‑ to 120‑minute cycles during which we move from a high‑energy state into a physiological trough. Toward the end of each cycle, our systems crave recovery. The signals include restlessness and difficulty concentrating, but we often ignore them and keep working. Consequently, our energy reservoir burns down as the day wears on. While having breaks every hour or so goes against the culture of most organizations, their value is multifaceted.