Mohamed Swilam, GM of Roche Egypt: Each week, My Morning Routine looks at how a successful member of the community starts their day — and then throws in a couple of random business questions just for fun. Speaking to us this week is Mohamed Swilam, general manager of Roche Egypt (LinkedIn). Edited excerpts from our conversation:

My name is Mohamed Swilam and I am a pharmacist. I am very Alexandrian (laughs). Upon graduating, I fell in love with the pharma industry and the mission that we’re pursuing. I’ve worked at four companies in four countries, starting with Novartis in Alex, then AstraZeneca in Kuwait for two years, then Eli Lilly in the UAE and Saudi Arabia for 6-7 years.

Eli Lilly was where I learned everything from sales to brand management. The last thing I did there was a unique training program called the Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, where I learned a lot about continuous improvements and solving problems. It prepared me to grow into a leadership position. I then moved back to Egypt. I had no intention of returning, but it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me.

What we do at work is exactly what I want to do in life: Make an impact. I consider myself fortunate to wake up every day excited about going to work. I feel fulfilled at work, and I know I shouldn’t take that for granted.

Being Roche’s GM in my home country adds a unique flavor because the impact is so personal. With over 100 mn people in a low-to-middle-income country, there are many diseases to fight. It drives us to work harder. My role is to facilitate that work by putting the right people in the right places. A significant portion of my time is also spent meeting with external stakeholders and government officials. But my most important role is to help my team do their job better.

I usually only have about 30 minutes in the morning, so it’s a very rushed morning routine. I try to get up and pray Fajr, then go back to sleep for a while before getting up around 7-8 am. Before I leave the house, I make my espresso, pray, and read Quran. Then I’m off to work. On weekends, I go for a morning workout.

When I’m not in meetings, I like to go around the office and greet everyone. My agenda is always full of back-to-back meetings, but I’ve begun to incorporate conscious breaks. I take two 15-minute breaks, and an hour to clean up emails, reflect, and do anything else that requires creative energy because back-to-back meetings do not foster creativity. My lunch break is 30 minutes long and it’s usually a business lunch. I take someone with me to the break area.

Managing to stay focused and organized is a journey in today’s highly dynamic work environment. We’re doing so many things at once that it’s beyond multitasking. What I try is to first be clear about what I’m doing, what value I’m bringing, and what my goal is. We’re not a large corporate elephant with a one-year plan. We have a long-term vision in mind, but we set what we want to achieve every 90 days.

There are many constants in my day. The spiritual aspect is very important to me, as is the sporting aspect. I grew up playing volleyball and Judo, and I’ve been boxing for the past five years. It’s a great way to de-stress at the end of the day. The minutes before I start are the most difficult because I have no energy. But I know it only takes one decision. I regain my energy after putting on my boxing gloves, and stay energized for an additional 3-5 hours after I’m done.

Another constant is my relationship with my family. I have two sons and a daughter. It’s part of my daily routine to maintain a close connection with them. At the end of the day, my wife and I tell each other about how our day went.

Work-life balance is extremely difficult to achieve. At some point I worked 24/7, especially when I was a first-line manager. My laptop was always on. I learned the hard way that relationships or connections can fall apart if you take them for granted, and if you don’t make time to participate in sports, your health may suffer. I stopped exercising for a while, and I ended up gaining weight and even fainted while playing football during Ramadan. I was in my late twenties at the time, so it was a wake-up call.

I gradually improved my work-life balance by incorporating sports into my lifestyle and not using the computer on weekends. Weekends are reserved for my family and my home. Now, work takes up roughly 80-90% of my time. I’d give myself a seven out of 10 when it comes to work-life balance. After a long day at work, I unwind by Boxing. I don’t like sitting on a couch with my hands on the remote. I do this when we watch a movie as a family, so it has meaning. Cooking also allows me to unwind, and I make the best seafood pasta.

Every now and then, I need a long weekend to truly unwind. We require more than just weekends in this fast-paced environment. I go on family vacations, change the scenery, visit the desert, or go to Saudi and perform Umrah. I also enjoy fishing, so I spend some time alone on a boat on occasion.

The best advice I’ve received recently is that genuine, positive, constructive feedback is a gift and that I need to pay attention to it. I’m accountable for the feedback I’m receiving. You must be aware of how others perceive you both professionally and personally. Being aware of how I am perceived by others. I constantly revisit my Johari window and I am conscious of my blind spots. I believe this is the essence of leadership — if I can influence myself to become a better version of myself, I will be able to influence others.