Strategic Management

Sample Solution

     

The article I chose is titled "CEO Morning Routines Are Bananas. So I Tried a Few." by Ray A. Smith, published in the Wall Street Journal on October 18, 2023. In the article, Smith describes how he tried out the morning routines of several successful CEOs, including waking up at 5 a.m., meditating, and doing Peloton sessions. He also discusses the science behind these routines and how they can help to improve performance and productivity.

The main points that Smith is communicating to the reader are that:

• Many successful CEOs have very specific morning routines that they follow.
• These routines are designed to help CEOs wake up early, focus on their goals, and prepare for the day ahead.
• There is scientific evidence to support the benefits of these routines, such as improved sleep quality, reduced

Full Answer Section

     

• Anyone can benefit from adopting some of the habits that successful CEOs use in their morning routines.

Part 2: Analysis of the article I agree with Smith that morning routines can be very beneficial for CEOs and other professionals. A well-designed morning routine can help to improve focus, productivity, and overall well-being. One of the things I liked about the article is that Smith provides specific examples of the morning routines of different CEOs. This helps to make the article more relatable and practical for readers. For example, Smith describes how Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal wakes up at 5 a.m., meditates for 20 minutes, and then reads for 30 minutes before starting his workday. Smith also describes how Peloton CEO John Foley wakes up at 6 a.m., works out for 45 minutes, and then eats a healthy breakfast. Another thing I liked about the article is that Smith discusses the science behind morning routines. He explains how early rising can help to regulate circadian rhythms and improve sleep quality. He also explains how meditation can help to reduce stress and improve focus. The article relates to strategic management topics studied in class in a number of ways. For example, the concept of strategic intent is about setting ambitious goals and developing a plan to achieve them. A well-designed morning routine can help CEOs and other professionals to stay focused on their strategic goals and to make progress towards achieving them. Another strategic management concept that is relevant to the article is resource allocation. CEOs and other professionals need to allocate their time and energy wisely in order to be successful. A morning routine can help CEOs to allocate their time and energy more effectively and to focus on the most important tasks. Here is an example of how to relate the concepts of strategic intent and resource allocation to a real-world example from the article: Peloton CEO John Foley has a strategic intent of making Peloton the leading provider of connected fitness equipment and subscriptions. In order to achieve this goal, Foley needs to allocate his time and energy wisely. His morning routine helps him to do this by focusing on his most important tasks, such as setting goals, developing strategies, and meeting with key stakeholders. Overall, I found Smith's article to be informative and well-written. It provides a good overview of the benefits of morning routines and how they can be used to improve performance and productivity. The article is also relevant to strategic management topics such as strategic intent and resource allocation.