I grew up in the era of the Rocky and Rambo movies. Sylvester Stallone was everywhere. Movie posters, t-shirts, lunch boxes. Mostly shirtless. Slathered in gallons of baby oil. Sometimes accessorized with a headband.

Stallone is known as being a very disciplined, hardworking actor. He understands how to train. But he pushed himself to unhealthy and unsustainable levels to “look good.” He trained so intensely to prepare for Rocky III and engaged in such a restricted diet that he only had 2.9% body fat. (In case you were wondering, healthy fat percentages for men are between 8% and 19%.) 

“Sly” Stallone would get so lightheaded during filming that he’d do handstands to get blood back to his brain. He later reflected: “I may have looked pretty good on the outside, but inside, it was a very dangerous thing to do¹

He’s not the only actor who risked his health to look good. 

Chris Hemsworth commented on his diet to get in shape for Thor: “This is by no means a healthy thing to do, and I wouldn’t recommend that anyone else do this.²

Or Zack Efron, talking about his physique in Baywatch, “That Baywatch look, I don’t know if that’s attainable…Like, it’s fake; it looks CGI’d…I started to develop insomnia, and I fell into a pretty bad depression, for a long time….Something about that experience burned me out³

I’m using male examples. Women have more famously wrestled with unrealistic body images and the demands to achieve them. This commonly results in everything from eating disorders and botched plastic surgeries to sickness-inducing implants. 

Even companies want to look good in yoga pants.

Corporate financial statements don’t make Instagram-worthy photos. But leaders fall victim to the same kind of comparative, unrealistic thinking. 

I often meet young entrepreneurs who are driven to appear on the cover of Inc. or Entrepreneur magazine. They will often pursue the image of what they think ‘success’ looks like. But they miss the necessary ingredients to build a healthy company. 

It’s not just the young. Established leaders often quietly compete with ‘the other’ guy. They chase the external appearances of someone else’s success. This often means pursuing meaningless objectives that look good to someone but provide no indication of health. They are often risky for organizational health. 

Many companies with ego-boosting stats are just ‘this close’ to bankruptcy or would never be able to make it through a buyer’s due diligence process. 

Examples of corporate “Instagram filters.”

• Focus on flashy financials: Leaders often describe their companies in terms of revenue. They should be reminded of the saying, “Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity, but cash is reality.” Revenue means little if you aren’t making a profit or are in debt. Profit means little if it’s only on paper or unsustainable. Money only really counts if you have it.
• Growth through acquisition vs organic growth: There is nothing wrong with acquiring companies. I think it’s an excellent strategy for some. But leaders who can’t grow their own company will often buy one (or more) so that it appears they are growing. This creates the illusion of growth. Usually, the leader who couldn’t develop the first company will destroy the value of the second. Studies suggest this happens 60% of the time⁴
• Customer growth without financial growth or ability to perform: Some companies chase customer numbers by offering discounts and freebies or operating with too thin margins. They do this to be competitive and attempt to position or attract more attention. This often robs the company of financial health or margin. It provides no room for error, let alone opportunity. Some companies grow so quickly they can’t keep up and serve their customers. 
• Innovation without practical application or results: Some leaders fall in love with being smarter than their competition. Others want to build the ‘coolest’ places to work. I’m all for being smart and having a workplace people love coming to. But there is often no practical or business value in these ideas. They don’t improve morale or produce business results. They are without substance. 
• Awards without improvements: There are many corporate and leadership awards out there. Very few of these mean a company is healthy. I’ve watched companies win prestigious awards and national recognition. Meanwhile, their workplace culture is toxic, and the entire company is mismanaged. 

What’s the solution?

The solution is less sexy, to be frank. It means that good, healthy companies often are never in the limelight. But they are truly the best places to work, and they perform well. 

Healthy companies do the following, at a minimum: 

• Robust financial management: They know where their money comes from, where it is, and where it is going. 
• Effective communicators: Leaders are honest and transparent, seek to listen, and work to be understood. 
• Invest in their people: They never lose sight of their company is their people. They work to build the best individuals and teams possible. 
• Committed to customers and service: They provide quality products and services. They take care of the people who buy from them. 
• They are operationally smart: They are efficient – meaning they try to reduce waste and simplify operations. They are also innovative –willing to take risks and try new things to improve and grow. 
• They are ethical: They don’t live in the grey, looking for loopholes. They do things right. They care for their people, their community, and the environment they work in. 

In summary: Seek to run a high-performing company that treats people well. Don’t make yourself sick trying to look good. You won’t sustain it and you could lose everything. 

Take good care,

Christian

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1 https://nypost.com/2017/03/14/sylvester-stallone-reveals-dangerous-diet-for-rocky/

2 https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3171005/chris-hemsworths-fitness-transformation-thor-he-follows

3 https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a40956681/zac-efron-greatest-beer-run-ever-interview/

4 https://www.forbes.com/sites/karenwalker/2020/09/29/merge-and-destroy/?sh=597ce6655932