Join Vistage Master Chair Tom Cuthbert in this episode of the ChairLife podcast. Tom addresses overconfidence as a silent threat in the C-suite, offering strategies to identify and challenge it in yourself and your CEOs. Drawing on examples like Kodak’s downfall, he emphasizes the role of Vistage peer groups in fostering humility and better decisions. In the "Tom’s Tips & Tricks" segment, Tom highlights sleep as an underrated superpower, sharing practical habits to optimize rest for leadership effectiveness. This episode equips Vistage Chairs with tools to strengthen their practice and guide members toward sustainable success.

Show Notes

Introduction: Tom introduces the episode, focusing on overconfidence as a leadership pitfall and sleep as a critical asset.

Understanding Overconfidence: Tom defines overconfidence as a cognitive bias, quoting Daniel Kahneman to underscore its risks.

Sources and Dangers of Overconfidence: Explores origins like past successes and consequences like poor decisions, illustrated by Kodak’s failure.

Challenging Overconfidence as a Chair: Five strategies for Chairs to confront overconfidence through questions, observation, and peer groups.

Applying the Lessons: Actionable steps to foster self-awareness and discuss overconfidence openly in Vistage groups.

Tom’s Tips & Tricks: Sleep, the Underrated Superpower: Tom advocates for prioritizing sleep to enhance leadership performance.

Conclusion: A call to challenge overconfidence and prioritize sleep for a stronger Vistage practice.

Tom’s Tips & Tricks: Sleep, the Underrated Superpower

Tom emphasizes sleep’s role in leadership, citing Arianna Huffington on its ability to refocus perspective.

Why Sleep Matters: Boosts cognitive function, emotional regulation, and physical health for better leadership.

Challenges for CEOs: CEOs average 25% less sleep due to poor time management or overconfidence in needing less.

Tom’s Sleep Routine: Ensures eight hours on work nights with a consistent schedule, dark room, and physical book reading.

Tools and Apps: Uses Apple Watch with AutoSleep ($5 app) to track deep sleep (2–3 hours) and AutoWake for gentle wake-ups.

Habits for Success: Charges devices outside the bedroom, eliminates lights, uses white noise, and preps clothes.

Resources

www.tomcuthbert.com/sleep

www.chairlifepodcast.com

https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits

https://purple.com/

https://autosleepapp.tantsissa.com/

https://sleep.me/

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1azsyJsea6tiJmCLB6gwAPJ3DmDLr6_vF7DHLx6MeiI4/edit?usp=sharing