Now, after skimming the news before 6 a.m., I'd make calls to our overseas offices, read e-mails from partners—hundreds were streaming in with suggestions and observations about the business—and then sit back to consider what I needed to do that day to be as productive as possible and have the most impact on the business. I asked Nancy to be very discriminating with my schedule, and it helped that I'd shed outside distractions, such as my corporate board positions.
