5 Daily Habits to Steal from Sheryl Sandberg, Including Making Sleep a Priority
As a digital nomad and journalist, I travel the world while logging around 70 articles a month. To effectively manage a country-hopping lifestyle while also building my bylines and clients, I turn to the advice of seasoned movers-and-shakers who have developed habits and strategies for success. Each month, I’ll highlight the daily routine of influential professionals, making for the right kind of fodder while you down your coffee.
While there are plenty of inspiring, influential business leaders, one of the most beloved and renowned of the past decade is the chief operation officer of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg. Not only did she give a new meaning behind the verb ‘lean’ with her New York Times best-selling debut novel, Lean In, but she is the first woman to serve on Facebook’s board of directors, holding a prime seat in key decisions of this multi-billion dollar company.
Today, she’s an active keynote speaker and social justice activist, as well as one of Time magazine’s most influential people in the world. All of her tenacity, courage and diligence has served her well, considering she has an estimated net worth of just over a billion. This widowed mother and powerhouse lives by a few rituals that maintain her productivity and stimulate her creativity.
Here, just a few you can apply to your own day-to-day habits:
She’s an early riser
We’ve all heard the advice before: the early worm gets the worm -- but science may make this idiom gospel. As one one study indicated, those who effortlessly rise with the sun tend to be more conscientious, proactive and agreeable -- all leadership qualities essential for career success (and glass-shattering).
Sandberg is one of the first to the office, arriving around 7 a.m. each and every single day. By this time, she’s already greeted her children, fired off emails and is prepped for the day ahead. While some research indicates your tendency to be a morning person or a night owl is genetic, giving yourself a slow start to the day could result in a more calm approach to your responsibilities and provide a clear head before you dive into whatever deliverables come across your desk.
She keeps track of every detail and meeting
The first week of my first job, I met the CEO of the company and came into the meeting without a notebook. He kindly and calmly -- yet firmly -- sent me back to my desk to grab paper and pen. He reminded me to never come empty-handed to anything, and it’s advice I’ve never forgotten.
Sandberg is the prime examples of the effectiveness of note-taking. In an interview with Fortune, she revealed that she takes copious details about her day in spiral-bound notebook. This is one way of keeping track of anything-and-everything that needs to be completed in a day, serving as a smart (and well, simple) way to prioritize action items.
According to the story, once she has completed everything on a page, she’ll rip it out and move onto the next. This ensure nothing is left hanging -- and keeps her focused on the present. Why the old-fashioned approach when Evernote and other digital productivity solutions are available? Perhaps Sandberg is old fashioned, or she’s abiding by research, which reveals when you physically write things down, you soak up the information much longer than typing.
She respects emotional state
Even though female c-level executives and entrepreneurs only make up a fraction of the business leaders, their leadership styles vary greatly from their male counterparts. While it’s a generalized statement to assume all men and women lead the same way, ladies at the top have been credited with a stronger bottom line. This could be because they follow their gut -- and they tend to be more empathetic.
One ritual Sandberg follows is starting each meeting with an open invitation for managers to discuss not only their professional but their emotional state. This question might not seem like much, but it illustrates Sandberg’s respect and acknowledgement that personal wellbeing is important to the performance of an employee, as well as their hard skills. Checking in with yourself -- and those you lead -- is a healthy, mature way to approach your day-to-day efficiency.
She prioritizes work/life balance
In 2015, Sheryl Sandberg’s husband, Dave Goldberg, the former CEO of SurveyMonkey, tragically passed away after falling off a treadmill on vacation in Punta Mita. Sandberg has been transparent about the grieving experience, especially as she has been tasked with the difficult task of raising their two children on her own.
One way she provides normalcy for her kids is by maintaining family traditions. Before Goldberg died, she always left work at 5:30 p.m., no matter how hectic the office was, to ensure she had dinner with her family. Today, she applies the same rule, all in an effort to maintain a work and life balance -- even as one of the most well-known COOs in the world. During this suppertime, Sandberg also continues a conversation she had when her husband was alive, encouraging the children to reveal the best and worst moments of their day.
She prioritizes sleep
Between helping to run the business interactions of one of the most important -- and leading -- companies on the planet, being a dedicated mother and writing books, Sandberg also somehow manages to budget sleep.
RELATED: 5-Step Nightly Ritual to Recharge and Maximize the Quality of Your Sleep
How come? Sandberg said not collecting enough shut-eye is one of her greatest regrets early in her career. As she revealed in an interview, “[It’s a] common but often counterproductive approach… Sleep deprivation just makes people anxious, irritable and confused.”
While the amount of recommended Zzz’s vary with age and health, generally speaking, an adult should aim for at least seven hours each night to remain alert and happy.
For more Daily Habits:
Military Dad Defends His 4 Little Daughters When Strangers Make This Rude Remark
Military Dad of 4 Daughters Defends His Girls When Strangers Make This Rude Remark
Austin von Letkemann is the military officer strangers feel "sorry" for — and the reason is infuriating.
Whenever the devoted father leaves the house with his four children, strangers can't help but notice the officer in uniform is holding hands with 4 adorable little girls. They will tell the traditionally "masculine" and "all American" dad they feel sorry for him, because he has no sons. This dad makes one thing very clear: They are his daughters, they aren't a burden.
In a passionate video, von Letkemann took to Instagram to share with his followers that the only thing that's "difficult" about being a girl dad — is clapping back to these sexist remarks over and over again.
They Mock His Daughters To Their Face
When strangers approach Austin von Letkemann and his four daughters, they don't always realize that their comments are being overheard. They seem oblivious to the fact that his girls understand every word. Von Letkemann describes how people will approach him and, without thinking, make remarks like "I'm sorry" or even joke about his lack of sons. What they don't realize is that these comments, intended to be light-hearted or humorous, can be deeply hurtful to his daughters. These strangers are not just disrespecting von Letkemann's choices as a father; they're also sending a message to his daughters that their presence is something to be pitied. It’s a message that von Letkemann won't stand for, and he's speaking out to defend his girls from these insensitive remarksSaying "Get Your Shotgun" Isn't Funny — It's Sexist
Another common comment that Austin von Letkemann encounters is the old "better get your shotgun ready" trope, often delivered with a smirk or a wink. This line is typically intended to suggest that a father with daughters should be on high alert to protect them from potential "suitors," implying that they are objects to be guarded rather than individuals with agency.
Von Letkemann finds this line of thinking outdated and sexist. In his viral Instagram video, he points out that these jokes are not just stale — they're damaging.
By suggesting that his daughters require armed protection, the joke reinforces the idea that women are inherently vulnerable and need to be shielded from men. Von Letkemann argues that instead of promoting this narrative, society should focus on teaching respect and consent, challenging these sexist tropes at their source.
Watch Austin von Letkemann's Video:
"If I Had A Fifth Child, I'd HOPE It Was A Girl" — One Dad's Message For Other Parents
Despite the constant remarks about his lack of sons, Austin von Letkemann is clear: He wouldn't trade his daughters for anything.
In fact, he told his Instagram followers that if he were to have a fifth child, he would hope for another girl. This declaration isn't just about doubling down on his pride in his family — it's a pointed response to those who see fathering daughters as a misfortune.
Von Letkemann's stance is a powerful one, rejecting the notion that a family is incomplete without sons. He encourages others to question the assumptions behind these comments and to appreciate the joy and fulfillment that his daughters bring. By sharing his story, von Letkemann hopes to create a more inclusive perspective on fatherhood, one that values daughters just as much as sons.