{
  "id": 15757165,
  "title": "ServiceNow CFO: Overwork doesn’t make you a better leader",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/servicenow-cfo-overwork-doesnt-make-you-a-better-leader",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-20T13:53:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/10/20/servicenow-cfo-overwork-doesnt-make-you-a-better-leader/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Good morning. Business leaders often face the demands of an elite athlete's workload. However, a common mistake among corporate executives is overlooking the importance of recovery for sustained performance. Gina Mastantuono, president and CFO of ServiceNow, a Fortune 500 company, has highlighted the value of fitness for personal well-being and successful leadership, while criticizing a workplace culture that equates long hours with dedication. \"The notion that working 14-hour days and sleeping four hours is a mark of hard work is profoundly misguided,\" she stated. This perspective, Mastantuono argued, sets a poor example for those around her. During a panel at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit, Mastantuono, Olympic champion Janet Evans, and Deloitte's U.S. sports chief commercial officer and women's sports leader Alicia Hatch discussed the benefits of recovery for both personal health and effective leadership. Mastantuono emphasized that recovery is not a detour from high performance; it is a necessity. Similar to how the body requires rest after physical exertion, professionals need time to recharge to maintain effectiveness in the long run. Mastantuono reported that prioritizing recovery has improved her work-life balance, listening skills, and composure under pressure. These advantages are not confined to the individual, but also to the teams she manages. \"When we prioritize self-care, we become much better bosses, colleagues, and parents,\" she stated. Apart from recovery, athletes also learn to make decisions under pressure, adapt to changing situations, and persist towards goals despite uncertainty. Hatch provided a relevant example, stating that 94% of female C-suite executives played sports in their youth, and this background contributes to their confidence, teamwork, and resilience. Additionally, it serves as a practical training ground for making high-stakes decisions swiftly, even when faced with incomplete information and competing demands. Evans shared a personal story about how her athlete mindset influenced her leadership when she was approached to join the bid to host the 2024 Olympics in Los Angeles. When Paris emerged as the favored candidate, the team redirected its efforts to secure the 2028 Games. This experience mirrored the qualities athletes bring to leadership: tenacity, steadfastness in goals, and the ability to adjust to changing circumstances. Evans concluded by suggesting that pursuing ambitious goals necessitates a willingness to take risks, navigate setbacks, and adapt along the way. This mindset could be especially pertinent as women's sports gain commercial traction. Deloitte projected that global revenues from women's sports would reach at least $3 billion in 2026, a 340% increase over the past four years, with soccer and basketball accounting for 35% of the global women's sports revenue. As women's sports continue to expand, the leadership lessons derived from athletics are becoming increasingly pertinent beyond the field of play. For executives, this means not only cultivating the resilience to perform under pressure but also acknowledging when to withdraw and recover.",
  "summary": "Gina Mastantuono joined Olympic champion Janet Evans and Deloitte’s Alicia Hatch to discuss how rest, resilience and decision-making under pressure can help leaders sustain performance.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}