Taking Care of Yourself as a Leader with Tony Marino

6 snips

May 25, 2025

The conversation delves into the critical role of self-care for leaders facing immense pressure. Tony Marino emphasizes that achieving peak performance is akin to elite athletes, requiring attention to diet, sleep, and stress management. He advocates for daily personal time to recharge, asserting that neglecting self-care negatively impacts decision-making and team dynamics. The discussion also touches on the importance of recognizing burnout signs early and managing time effectively to avoid falling into the 'just need more time' trap.

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INSIGHT

Leadership Demands Corporate Athletics

Big leadership roles come with intense stress and complexity that require strong mental and physical resilience.
Leaders must treat themselves like corporate athletes to sustain top performance under high pressure.

ADVICE

Carve Out Daily Self-Time

Dedicate one to two hours daily for personal wellness to maintain balance and peak leadership capability.
Skipping this personal time shortchanges both yourself and your team.

INSIGHT

Self-Care Impacts Team Success

Neglecting self-care in leadership leads to poor decision-making and negative team impact.
Leaders’ mental clarity directly influences their team's performance and accountability.

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In this short segment of the Revenue Builders Podcast, we revisit the discussion with Tony Marino, Senior Advisor at Fiserv and executive coach to high-performing leaders. The discussion dives deep into the non-negotiable role of physical and mental wellness in leadership. From billion-dollar responsibilities to 30,000-person teams, Marino explains why sustaining peak performance demands the same discipline as elite athletes. Whether you're leading a company, a team, or just striving to stay on top of your game, this episode will challenge your excuses and inspire a new mindset.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[00:00:48] Big Leadership = Big Stress
Leaders often oversee billions in revenue or tens of thousands of people—making personal wellness crucial.

[00:01:32] Corporate Athletes are the New Standard
Executive performance hinges on diet, sleep, exercise, and stress management

[00:02:25] One or Two Hours a Day for You
Marino's rule: If you’re not carving out personal time daily, you’re cheating yourself—and your team.

[00:03:38] You Can't Lead Others If You’re Off Balance
When leaders neglect self-care, it shows up in decision-making, temperament, and team performance.

[00:04:45] Success Requires Pattern Recognition
Great leaders recognize the signs of burnout early and act fast to recalibrate.

[00:05:34] "If I Just Had More Time" Is a Trap
Most leaders don’t lack knowledge—they lack deliberate time management.

[00:06:23] Join the 6% Club
Referencing Michelle Rosen’s book, Marino explains why only 6% stick with goals—and how to be one of them.

[00:07:19] Discipline and Planning are Everything
Plan your day with intent. Success isn’t about hustle; it’s about preparation.

QUOTES

[00:01:58] “You need to be a corporate athlete if you’re going to succeed in these big, tough jobs.”

[00:02:25] “If you’re not giving yourself one or two hours a day, you’re cheating yourself.”

[00:03:38] “You can’t take care of your team if you can’t take care of yourself.”

[00:04:45] “The most successful people I’ve met know themselves really, really well.”

[00:05:34] “The most common sentence I’ve heard from leaders is, ‘If I just had more time…’”

[00:07:44] “The key is being deliberate and planful. That’s how you become part of the 6% club.”

Listen to the full conversation through the link below.
https://revenue-builders.simplecast.com/episodes/embracing-the-work-of-resilient-leadership-with-tony-marino

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