
In the dynamic and demanding world of senior leadership, balancing work and life can often feel like an elusive goal.
Whether it's a new promotion, stepping into an unfamiliar role, or navigating a career change, these pivotal moments often require more hours, increased effort, and stepping out of comfort zones.
The result?
Home life takes a back seat.
Hobbies become less frequent, and precious time with family dwindles.
I recently came across a post on X by Marc Randolph, co-founder of Netflix, which struck a chord.
Marc’s definition of success wasn't tied to professional achievements as you might expect.
It was about leaving the office every Tuesday at 5 pm, without fail, for dinner with his best friend: his wife.
This ritual kept him grounded, helped maintain a strong marriage, and ensured his kids grew up knowing and liking him. It gave him time to pursue other passions and maintain his sanity.
This got me thinking – what could senior leaders do to achieve a similar balance?
What non-negotiable commitments could you introduce into your weekly schedule to maintain an optimum work-life design?
Here are a couple of ideas:
Set a Hard Stop ⏰
Like Marc, choose a specific time to leave the office once a week.
Make it a time to connect with family or friends. It doesn’t have to be every night. Try once a week.
Make it to the school pick up, have a date night, have the kids choose what kind of food is eaten on that ritual night.
These moments are irreplaceable and strengthen bonds.
Lunch Break Ritual 🥗
I’ve seen leaders in Sweden and France modelling this well by having an actual lunch break!
Every day, without fail and encouraging their teams to do the same.
Get away from eating at your desk, get outside in the sunshine, and/or combine that with some other way you like to recharge.
Some clients like to go for a run, a walk, listen to music or an insightful audiobook.
Hobby Time 🎨 🎶 🧘
Reconnect with hobbies that bring you joy.
Whether it’s painting, cycling, a fitness class, learning a language or musical instrument, or gardening.
What have you dropped along the way of climbing the corporate ladder?
Make time for activities that help you unwind, create space for the brain to make creative connections (that will have a knock-on effect for your work too!) and don’t wait for retirement to enjoy such things.
After all, it’s not the extra hours spent at the office that you’ll look back on or the goals you were striving for.
The regret lies in the missed opportunities to connect with loved ones and to recharge your own batteries.
As leaders, modelling this balance is also crucial for the well-being of your teams and organisations too.
If they don’t see it, they won’t emulate it.
What changes can you make to ensure you're leading and living well?

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