To be a CEO is to serve as the company’s central power source. This role demands not just stamina but a rare combination of physical endurance, mental acuity, emotional steadiness, and strategic clarity. In my recent Fortune profile of New York Times CEO Meredith Kopit Levien, one quality surfaced repeatedly: her energy. Described as “indefatigable” by colleagues and peers, Levien acknowledged that she may have been “given a little more energy,” but she also emphasized her ability to sustain it. That distinction—between having energy and managing it—is essential.
It mirrored a conversation I had with Courtney della Cava, who oversees CEO selection for Blackstone’s portfolio companies. She said stamina is among the most decisive traits in identifying leadership potential. But she defined it not in terms of hours worked but as the ability to deliver high performance consistently over time. It’s a mix of physical energy, mental resilience, and emotional bandwidth.
The demands on a CEO are relentless. Early mornings, constant travel, high-stakes decisions, and nonstop context-switching make physical energy the baseline for success. But what separates the most effective leaders isn’t just grit. It’s the discipline to direct their energy with precision. That means staying focused amid information overload, projecting steadiness in the face of conflict, making decisions under pressure, and carving out space to think clearly about the future.
Executive recruiters I interviewed agreed. Some leaders may be naturally wired for intensity, with fast recovery times and a high tolerance for stress, they said. But raw energy isn’t enough. The CEOs who last build systems to manage themselves. They limit distractions, rely on coaches or trusted advisors, and organize their time around what only they can do. They know that energy is a finite resource that must be replenished and deployed strategically.
Aflac CEO Dan Amos put it plainly in an interview with Fortune: “You can only take in so much to your brain. One of the hardest things to do is to stay focused. Don’t let people get you off track.”
So, is CEO-level energy innate or cultivated? Most say both. But what keeps it going isn’t adrenaline. It’s structure. One’s drive might get them to the corner office. But discipline, it appears, is what will keep corner office aspirants and occupants from burning out.
Ruth Umoh
ruth.umoh@fortune.com
Today’s newsletter was curated by Lily Mae Lazarus.
The new Fortune 500 ranking is here
In total, Fortune 500 companies represent two-thirds of U.S. GDP with $19.9 trillion in revenues, and they employ 31 million people worldwide. Last year, they combined to earn $1.87 trillion in profits, up 10% from last year—and a record in dollar terms. View the full list, read a longer overview of how it shook out this year, and learn more about the companies via the stories below.
- A passion for music brought Jennifer Witz to the top spot at satellite radio staple SiriusXM. Now she’s tasked with ushering it into a new era dominated by podcasts and subscription services. Read more
- IBM was once the face of technological innovation, but the company has struggled to keep up with the speed of Silicon Valley. Can a bold AI strategy and a fast-moving CEO change its trajectory? Read more
- This year, Alphabet became the first company on the Fortune 500 to surpass $100 billion in profits. Take an inside look at which industries, and companies, earned the most profits on this year’s list. Read more
- UnitedHealth Group abruptly brought back former CEO Stephen Hemsley in mid-May amid a wave of legal investigations and intense stock losses. How can the insurer get back on its feet? Read more
- Keurig Dr. Pepper CEO Tim Cofer has made Dr. Pepper cool again and brought a new generation of products to the company. Now, the little-known industry veteran has his eyes set on Coke-and-Pepsi levels of profitability. Read more
- NRG Energy is the top-performing stock in the S&P 500 this year, gaining 68% on the back of big acquisitions and a bet on data centers. In his own words, CEO Larry Coben explains the company’s success. Read more
Smarter in seconds
House of cards. Carlyle is trying to turn political volatility into a competitive edge for its portfolio CEOs
What goes around comes around. A slew of former CEOs are suiting up once more to take top roles at their old companies
Rising star. The 35-year-old exec helping chart DoorDash’s future—after a rapid rise as one of Amazon’s youngest VPs
Leadership lesson
Kate Johnson, CEO of Lumen, on navigating turbulence with intention: “You can react every day at the confusion and chaos of the next executive order or whatever. Or you can lean into it and say, ‘Okay, let’s synthesize that. Let’s let the company metabolize it. Let’s think about what it means.’”
News to know
President Donald Trump said he plans to impose a 100% tariff on films made outside the U.S., calling foreign film production a national security threat. NYT
The U.S. collected $15 billion more in tariffs than expected, but economists warn it’s too early to declare a policy win. Fortune
Corporate America is holding off on filling open positions, opting to pause hiring rather than conduct layoffs as uncertainty from the trade war continues. WSJ
Chinese exporters are rerouting goods through other countries to sidestep U.S. tariffs under President Trump’s trade policies. FT
President Trump indicated that his administration could finalize trade deals with some countries as early as this week, raising hopes for trading partners looking to avoid increased U.S. import tariffs. Bloomberg
This little-known AI darling is climbing the Fortune 500 faster than any other company, jumping 206 spots year over year. Fortune
