Ever wondered what it takes to be a supreme leader? Read author Alinka Rutkowska’s book on the subject. Or listen to one of her interview podcasts Supreme Leadership on iTunes. She talked with Oh My Green’s supreme leader and CEO, Michael Heinrich, recently and uncovered some real insights.
According to Michael (and other sage entrepreneurs) running a startup is more a marathon than a sprint. He talked about surviving the race to avoid burnout and finding ways to help coworkers do the same. What works for Michael is being anchored on purpose and keeping a healthy mind, body, and environment
Michael says that many entrepreneurs, and leaders in general, foster a burnout culture and that most people are very stressed out because of work. He wants to do something different and he doesn’t believe that running his company should drive him or his employees to feel burned out.
When Michael founded Oh My Green his mission was very clear. He was driven to create something very different and has set up to be a role model for what his new form of leadership looks like. The first part of his mission for Oh My Green was to empower people to live healthy and blissful lives. The second part was to make sure that no matter how tough it got during the journey of running this company, he would always keep wellness at the forefront.
Michael says that entrepreneurship is very much a marathon rather than a sprint. So, for him —the person—being anchored on purpose, keeping a healthy mind, body, and environment is very important. Also, what he calls his “non-negotiables” are: sleep seven hours a day, meditate twice a day, always eat healthy, organic foods, and have meaningful relationships in and outside of work. He believes all this to be a foundation of who he is as an entrepreneur and a business leader. Being physically and mentally healthy allows him to have a deeper focus on what matters at work and be able to think strategically about priorities.
He credited his past work experience, some of the companies he worked at, and his graduate studies on shaping the person and the entrepreneur that he is today. Michael remembers one of his professors at Stanford University as a very important mentor for him.
Probably the greatest influence in his life has been his grandmother while growing up in Berlin. As a medical doctor, she always emphasized the importance of eating fresh fruits and vegetables, exercising, and avoiding excess sugar to stay healthy. The teachings from Michael’s grandmother have been the driving force behind the business concept he originally had for Oh My Green and for how he has decided to live his professional and personal life.
If you want to take a listen to the complete podcast to catch all of Michael’s great insights, check it out here. It’s about 18 mins long. I promise it’s worth your time.
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