8.5 hours of sleep, 5-minute lunch, 3 hours of reading: United Airlines CEO shares daily routine, calls himself ‘least stressed person’

United Airlines CEO Scott Kir recently shared a glimpse into his daily routine, which includes 8.5 hours of sleep, early-morning workouts, three hours of reading and a four-hour cap on meetings. The 59-year-old executive said that he is “probably the least stressed person you’ve ever met” despite running a major airline and travelling frequently.Scott Kir explained how he balances his work as an airline CEO with exercise, reading and family time. (LinkedIn/Scott Kir)Kir, who is based in Dallas, detailed his routine in an interview with Business Insider, explaining how he balances his work as an airline CEO with exercise, reading and family time.8.5 hours of sleep, no alarmKir told the outlet that he typically wakes up between 5 and 5:30 am after getting around 8.5 hours of sleep. He does not set an alarm and said that he has rarely needed one in his life.After waking up, he shared that he has an apple or banana before beginning his workout. His exercise routine includes upper-body weights, kettlebells, running and core workouts. When travelling, however, he sometimes skips his workout.He also reads emails, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times between sets, Kir said.Breakfast with children around 7 am, Kir said that his children are usually awake. During the school year, he has breakfast with them and often takes them to school. “We have a tradition I love, which is particularly embarrassing for my now-seventh-grader, with big hugs and kisses. Everyone thinks it’s hilarious, and he actually thinks it’s funny, too,” he said.He also has a business breakfast meeting once or twice a week.(Also Read: Uber CEO says he expects employees to respond to emails on weekends: ‘Don’t come here if you want to coast’)Meetings capped at four hoursKir usually begins work around 8 am when he is in Texas, although he makes himself available earlier for international calls. The United CEO said that he has a strict guideline of no more than four hours of meetings a day, with 2 to 2.5 hours being the ideal.“I’m allergic to the kind of meeting where people just go through slides,” Kir said, adding that he prefers meetings where executives discuss issues rather than simply going through presentations. He also said that United’s executive team meets 3 times a week for 1-2 hours at a time.“We all know what’s going on in each other’s groups because we spend so much time together. We’re not going through decks — we’re just talking,” he told the outlet.5-minute lunch, 3 hours of readingKir said that he is not particularly interested in food and treats lunch as “fuel”. “I usually eat lunch in five minutes,” he said.He also spends around 3 hours a day reading. He has developed a habit of walking while reading and said he has averaged more than 20,000 steps a day for 4 consecutive years.“I probably read one and a half books a week. Science fiction is my favorite. I think reading is one of the best ways to understand the world. I feel like I have a better assessment of what’s happening, especially when crazy stuff happens,” he said.He added that reading helped him recognise the seriousness of the Covid-19 pandemic early because he had previously read about the hory of pandemics.(Also Read: Restaurant owner gifts top employees BMWs after seeing harsh commute, says ‘You deserve this car’)Dedicated family time around 5 pm, Kir said that he tries to finish work so he can spend time with his children. During the school year, he often takes them to their practices and other activities.The family has dinner together around 6 pm. His evening routine with his children includes playing hide-and-seek and chasing each other before winding down with reading.He said that he aims to go to bed around 9 pm so that he can maintain his 8.5-hour sleep schedule. “I like to get to bed early. I’m probably the least stressed person you’ve ever met. I think it surprises people that my schedule isn’t nearly as packed as they assume,” he said.“A lot of executives judge their self-worth how busy their schedule is, but when you’re sitting in meetings, you’re rarely thinking. I’d say my job is not to work hard; it’s to think hard. I detest wasting time,” he added.At least 3 flights a weekKir said that his routine changes frequently because of his travel schedule. He said he is usually away for a couple of nights a week, spends considerable time in Chicago and Washington, DC, and takes around five overseas trips in a normal year.He averages at least three flights a week and sometimes chooses other airlines to experience their services and test their technology. When he books flights in advance, he generally chooses first class. However, because his schedule often changes, last-minute bookings sometimes mean he ends up flying economy.“Mostly it’s about the convenience of the schedule,” he said.