What Execs Do for a Little Excitement

Not everyone can have an “adventure” career. If childhood dreams held sway, after all, there would be way too many firemen and forest rangers in the world.

But even button-down businessmen need to maintain excitement in their work lives. That’s what keeps people going, even if they’re millionaires.

We asked some top executives in various fields how they keep a spark, a sense of adventure, at work. Not surprisingly, some said the work is its own reward. Others had more specific methods for keeping energized throughout their hectic days. (Mayor Richard Riordan, for instance, has a multilayered approach to workplace excitement.) Here are their answers.

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Richard Riordan

Richard Riordan, mayor of Los Angeles: “I love spending time with young Angelenos. . . . Being around kids really energizes me. I play chess in the office sometimes, as a way of clearing my mind between tasks. I’m a voracious reader--I always have a book in the office, in the car and at home. And most days around noon, I drink a power shake.”

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Thomas Monaghan

Thomas Monaghan, founder and president, Domino’s Pizza Inc.: “I’m a strong advocate of exercise to improve not only your physical well-being, but your mental health. I run about 5 miles a day and work out in our company’s on-site fitness center. When the days get hectic and I feel my energy starting to fade, I find light calisthenics such as push-ups and stretching help to get my energy level up.”

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Andrew S. Grove

Andrew S. Grove, chairman and CEO of Intel Corp. and author of “Only the Paranoid Survive”: “To me, work is like a fast-moving ballgame. Just trying to keep up with the shifting players and not drop the ball keeps me absorbed so much so that I am barely aware of time passing.”

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Fred Rosen

Fred Rosen, president and CEO of Ticketmaster Corp.: “What stimulates me is the challenge of crafting, creating and closing a transaction; creating a business where none existed before; and motivating individuals to realize their potential.”

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John Cushman

John Cushman, president and CEO of Cushman Realty Corp.: “I like to do everything--it doesn’t matter if it’s golf, skiing, tennis, horseback riding, whatever. Doing those things outside work helps me unwind and devote myself more to work when I go back. I’m not a person completely consumed by my job. But I also find the sport of business to be an enormous adventure. I really enjoy the challenge, the unexpected things that jump up at you.”

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Sy Sperling

Sy Sperling, CEO (and client), Hair Club for Men: “I live on the beach in Florida. . . . I usually exercise for about two hours a day, walking along the beach, climbing stairs, working out with weights. I also just really enjoy the success that’s gone along with building and growing my company. I travel a lot, doing appearances and PR for the company. I’ve been on ‘Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,’ ‘Saturday Night Live,’ Leno, lots of radio shows. Finally, I just try to lead a balanced life: I take care of my 89-year-old mother, who lives here in Florida; I eat right.”