Leadership | Why sleep issues spark entrepreneurial intentions

Business leaders have been known to shout about the lack of sleep they get as a result of owning an company; Elon Musk for example previously told The New York Times that he works 120 hours a week, leaving him with little time to rest.

Despite this, various studies have indicated that a lack of sleep can do little to boost productivity and as such can hinder a leader’s ability to progress.

However, in contrast to these previous studies, new research by Warwick Business School, the University of Central Florida, and Johns Hopkins Carey Business School has discovered that in fact, sleep deprivation can also encourage aspiring entrepreneurs to launch their own business venture.

The research which was published in the paper The Weary Founder: Sleep Problems, ADHD-Like Tendencies, and Entrepreneurial Intentions, in the journal Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, has found that people with sleep problems are more likely to exhibit impulsive and inattentive behaviours commonly associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).