Life/Work Balance

It is essential for the servant-leader to model and encourage life/work balance. Just as important as being a positive role model, rolling up one’s sleeves and getting work done is the complementary dimension of creating a refreshing balance in one’s life that honors personal and team values. People are not machines; longer work hours do not translate into higher productivity.

In fact, when people overwork, the result is an increase in errors, less alertness, and diminishing judgment, creativity and intuition. Safety becomes an issue as does the tendency to focus on the immediate at the expense of long-term goals (fire-fighting!). The very ingredients that bring value to most people’s work are the areas that begin to wither. And because a leader’s habits and practices are contagious, the negative impact of the imbalance multiplies by the number of people influenced.

On the other hand, by putting a high value on taking responsibility for creating and maintaining life/work balance, individuals and teams can achieve astounding results, especially when the chips are down. One only has to look inside those companies listed at the top of “100 Best Places to Work in America” (as rated by their Employees) to find clear evidence of teams and individuals who do whatever it takes in times of need yet are able to do so without slipping into workaholism or chronic burnout. Learning to stay centered and living from a place of balance is the foundation for mutual trust and servant leadership.

Modules are available in Learning Notebooks sold as a set.