There’s a lot of mystique around the CEO’s morning routine; each business leader has their own habit to start the day off right, whether that’s cold plunges or 5 a.m. runs before work. But many top executives start their days just like everyone else: shutting off their alarms and rolling over to check their phones.
Even CEOs leading billion-dollar companies peruse through apps first thing in the morning. Lyft CEO David Risher starts his day off by checking the ŌURA app to see how he slept—the same routine of the smart ring company’s chief executive, Tom Hale. And Jordan Goldstein, the co-CEO of global architecture firm Gensler, runs through all his messaging platforms to check which matters are pressing and which can wait for a response.
Executives at all sorts of companies—including Salesforce, Visa, Amazon, Zillow, and American Express—can’t resist the pull of their phones in the morning. Many seem to be tuning into the same types of apps before making their morning coffee: LinkedIn, Slack, Mail, the Weather app, news sources, and a litany of wellness platforms optimizing their health. This daily habit helps set them up for success heading into the day, whether it’s staying up to date on current events or strategizing the workday ahead while getting ready.
