United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby details unique management routine

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has shared insights into his management philosophy and daily routine, emphasizing cognitive effort over traditional hard work. Kirby stated that as a CEO, his primary responsibility is to ‘think hard’ rather than simply work hard.

To facilitate this, Kirby maintains a strict schedule that includes sleeping eight and a half hours per night, taking daily naps, and limiting meetings to approximately four hours per day. His routine also involves significant reading, including daily consumption of major newspapers, magazines, and books across various genres such as science, history, and science fiction.

In a recent interview, Kirby also discussed his professional evolution, noting that he has moved away from a heavy reliance on spreadsheet-driven conclusions, which he now describes as ‘toxic.’ He also mentioned learning employee communication techniques from former executive Oscar Munoz and utilizing an artificial intelligence tutor.