Roland Busch.
Siemens
Roland Busch has a lot competing for his attention.As CEO of Siemens, Busch leads more than 300,000 employees. He gets about 200 emails a day, spends his afternoons in back-to-back meetings, and travels so frequently that he estimates he flies roughly the distance to the moon and back each year.Busch told Business Insider in his recent Power Hours interview that his background in theoretical physics has influenced his approach to the complexity of his job. He tries to strip problems down to what matters and eliminate unnecessary work wherever he can.That philosophy shows up throughout his daily routine, which strongly resonated with our readers. He keeps his emails short, doesn't schedule recurring meetings with his direct reports, and has developed rules that help him maintain his routine, even when he's traveling.We asked ChatGPT to pinpoint seven of Busch's best rules for getting things done. It turns out, other CEOs use them, too.1. Keep your inbox below 100 emailsBusch gets about 200 emails a day, but he tries to keep fewer than 100 messages in his inbox at any given time. Once the number climbs above 100, he finds it harder to see what actually requires his attention. He responds to messages quickly rather than letting them pile up.He's not the only Power Hours subject with a strict approach to his inbox. Jim Holthouser, the CEO of GoTo Foods, told Business Insider that he describes himself as an "inbox-zero person." Holthouser said that if he doesn't clear his email before bed, he doesn't sleep well.2. Use as few words as possible in your repliesBusch doesn't spend much time crafting elaborate email responses. Very often, his entire reply is simply "OK" or "No."He said his team is accustomed to communicating this way. When he does need to send a longer response, he sometimes dictates it while walking through the office.
