Great leaders can have a successful life both at work and at home. I believe everyone wants and wants to be like this. So, how do we do it? So let’s find out how to get us to the point where we can create a balance between work and family in this article.
Hard work becomes admirable, commendable, and grateful. Many people say that in order to be successful, you have to work hard. It is like we were taught since school that if we want to get good grades, we have to study as much as possible. But the test questions are only 4-5 sheets of paper from almost 200 pages of books per subject that we have to read. In conclusion, is dedication too much? Or if we don’t want to devote too much, where is the right point?
A fearsome work ethic is often touted as the only way to reach the top and become an effective leader. And according to studies, managers and executives tend to favor employees who have less personal responsibilities because they can focus on their work without any worries. But the truth is, being willing to devote yourself 24/7 to work is not good for you.
“Leaders cannot create work-life balance.”
Tesla and Space X CEO Elon Musk tweeted that no one can change the world by working 40 hours a week. He said he barely sleeps or sees his kids. Apple’s Tim Cook often sends emails before sunrise. And billionaire Mark Cuban worked until 2 a.m. to launch his first business and didn’t take a vacation in 7 years. Does being successful always have to be like those people?
“The problem is that overwork has become a chronic disease that continues to spread.”
At the Pioneering Biennial Summit, an interesting topic emerged. Leaders were thinking about how to work more effectively so they could have time for life. They shared successful strategies and learned from failures. In one of their talks, they shared family photos and talked for a moment about life outside of work. Then they began to discuss the limitations of work that no one has ever healed. Everyone is working too much, and it becomes a chronic disease that eats away at your life.
“Plan your vacation”
Few pioneering leaders are good at taking vacations, working from home, or maintaining relationships with family and friends. To help you become a leader, learn about the vacation list, a great strategy for making time for yourself outside of work. For example, you might plan your vacations based on your work season, assign tasks, and review essential team work two weeks before you take a vacation. Create a wait list a week before you take a vacation, and avoid scheduling meetings the day before you take a vacation to review your priorities.
“We just keep trying, keep improving.”
What you need is to focus on prioritizing your work rather than being on-the-go or constantly interacting with colleagues and partners. Stop answering emails or attending meetings, but find it hard to tell them to stop when emergencies arise. Try to prioritize and manage other complications. If you feel like your plan isn’t good enough, refine it until it becomes a plan you’re happy with. You’ll find that prioritizing to create a vacation plan isn’t just for leaders, it’s for anyone who wants to balance work and life.
As leaders must cope with the pressures of the status quo and achieve work-life balance, it is important for all leaders to cultivate three relationship skills:
- Learning to work with different teams at work
- Planning with family to put home and family first and
- Changing your mindset to not just believe that change is possible
But you also need to give yourself permission to make this change. The following stories are about leaders and their practice of cultivating these three relationships.
Ivan Axelrod, 72, is a managing director at a money-management firm in LA. He spent most of his time climbing the corporate ladder as the head of a work-oriented family. Before he knew it, he was a grandfather. His parents died when his children were young, meaning the grandparents never got to know their grandchildren. The idea made him want something different: he wanted to be the grandfather his grandchildren knew.
“I will give them more responsibility.”
When his daughter was preparing to return to work after taking three months off to give birth, her grandmother offered to give him two days off a week to give him more time. Axelrod figured he could delegate the work to other employees. He had good, talented people who could do it, which would help them develop faster. Although he reluctantly offered the job to his employees, he insisted on doing it.
“If you have an organizational structure that is ready to allow people to be flexible in their work, do it because it will create better results for the organization.”
One result of Axelrod’s work to create a culture where people can have time for work and life has been the promotion of flexible working and remote work. There’s also an indirect benefit of reduced commuting, an effort that reduces turnover and recruiting and training costs, but also boosts employee morale and productivity. On Mondays, Axelrod takes his two grandchildren to school, does some homework, and picks them up afterward. Of course, there’s still time to take them to swim lessons or grab a snack before heading home.
“I’ve been very involved in their lives. When I’m gone, they’ll have a lot of memories.”
Axelrod says you have to believe in your plan and say it. Our lives are a mix of work and life, so making the decision to work less or rearrange your schedule is not only important enough to try, but it takes a lot of trial and error.
“What we see, look to our role models, determine what we think is possible.”
If we want to change, all we need to do is read fewer articles about the inhumane and reckless schedules of CEOs. Stop trying to be leaders who don’t care about the cost of health, family, and ultimately, innovation and business productivity. The more we hear about these leaders, the more they convince themselves that to be as successful as them, we have to spend all our time doing great work and living a good life. People start to believe that it’s possible because it’s a supply, not because it’s true.
Conclusion
Intense, hard, and reckless work patterns have become the hallmark of dedication, and every company wants hardworking employees. But dedication doesn’t mean going home late and letting your family sleep. It doesn’t mean bringing work home on your day off. It doesn’t mean working overtime without ever picking up your kids from school.
For over 20 years, leaders have been trying to meet and exchange new ideas on how to work effectively while still having time for life. Leaders can withstand the pressures of the status quo and prioritize work-life balance if they know how to manage their time, say no to work, rest, and prioritize duties and responsibilities as best they can.
For great leaders, they can have a successful life both at work and at home. So what you need to keep in mind is:
“To be a leader who still has a life outside the boardroom, you need to learn to work differently, plan with your family and put your family first, and most importantly, change your mindset.”
Reference:
You Can Be a Great Leader and Also Have a Life
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