Cooking Up Leadership: The Surprising Business Benefits of Time in the Kitchen
- Darren Cowlbeck
- Sep 22
- 2 min read
We don’t usually think of chopping onions as a masterclass in leadership. More like a fast track to tears. But the truth is, cooking has serious psychological benefits, and—believe it or not—it can make you sharper in business too.
Why Cooking Matters for the Leadership Mind
Psychologists call it behavioral activation. Translation: doing small, meaningful tasks (like cooking) boosts your mood and helps build that quiet confidence of I can do this. One study in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that creative everyday activities such as cooking can increase happiness and life satisfaction (Farmer et al., 2018). Another in Frontiers in Psychology showed that cooking enhances mindfulness and reduces stress (Bloch, 2021).
And you know what? They’re right. You can’t sauté onions while replaying a disastrous Zoom call in your head—you’ll burn the lot. Cooking forces you into the present moment. Which, inconveniently, is also where all the good stuff in life happens.
What the Kitchen Teaches the Boardroom
1. Planning and Execution Recipes are basically project plans with better aromas. You sequence tasks, juggle timings, and coordinate resources. That’s executive function training in disguise.
2. Adaptability and Problem-Solving The fridge is empty. The cream’s gone sour. The guests arrive early. Every good cook improvises. In business, this flexibility is gold—it turns setbacks into creativity rather than panic.
3. Collaboration and Communication Cooking is inherently social. Whether you’re plating up for friends or shouting “Yes, Chef!” in a kitchen, you’re adjusting to others’ needs. That’s empathy, audience awareness, and team dynamics in action.
4. Creativity Under Constraints Empty cupboards force creativity. Psychologists argue constraints boost innovation (Stokes, 2005). In the kitchen, that’s how spaghetti with whatever becomes “fusion cuisine.” In business, it’s how tight budgets lead to breakthrough ideas.
Stories that Stick
The CEO ChefIndra Nooyi, ex-CEO of PepsiCo, was famous for inviting colleagues to home-cooked dinners. She understood what many leaders forget: breaking bread together breaks barriers faster than PowerPoint slides ever will.
A Tokyo Reset One Japanese marketing manager I worked with swore his weekend ritual of cooking ramen from scratch gave him patience for Monday’s client chaos. He didn’t call it therapy, but it was.
The 5% Life Connection
Spending just 5% of your day—72 minutes—in the kitchen isn’t indulgence. It’s training. Each meal rehearses the skills of leadership: focus, adaptability, creativity, and care for others. Unlike most business meetings, at the end of it you actually have something worth eating.
Key Takeaway: Cooking doesn’t just feed the body. It feeds resilience, leadership, and creativity. So tonight, pick up a knife, not another spreadsheet—you’ll be surprised what skills simmer up.
References
Farmer, C. M., Lamson, A. L., & Behrens, P. I. (2018). Creative everyday activities, positive affect, and flourishing: The mediating role of psychological need satisfaction. Journal of Positive Psychology, 13(6), 597–606.
Bloch, A. (2021). Cooking and mental health: A systematic review of current evidence. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 661379.
Stokes, P. D. (2005). Creativity from constraints: The psychology of breakthrough. Springer Publishing Company.
Benedek, M., Bruckdorfer, R., & Jauk, E. (2017). Creativity and cognitive control: Advances in theory, research, and application. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1348.
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