United CEO Scott Kirby Trades Marathon Meetings for Three Hours of Reading

The 59-year-old executive mandates that his limited meeting time be strictly conversational, explicitly banning the use of PowerPoint presentations. Kirby argues that if information can be read in a document, a meeting is an inefficient use of resources. This approach stems from his philosophy that the primary duty of a CEO is to think, not merely to work hard or process historical data.

Kirby dedicates approximately three hours each day to reading, consuming everything from The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times to roughly five magazines and two books per week. This habit, which spans subjects ranging from history to science fiction, serves as his primary tool for connecting disparate dots across the horizon. This long-term focus is critical as United moves to integrate over 250 new aircraft by 2028 and expands its network into 10 new international destinations, including Okinawa and Ibiza. By protecting his schedule, Kirby aims to maintain the clarity necessary to navigate these multi-year bets while his competitors remain tethered to the daily grind.