How To Balance Work-Life?
A network of friends and family can be a safety net. Clearly, a company’s prosperity hinges on the strength of its leader. Yet while stress and responsibility come with the role, a leader does not necessarily have to face these things alone. Family and friends is a means for the leader to balance his or her life. They can be a huge asset in another regard, in that their influence can affect how a leader develops in that role, and on the legacy he or she chooses to leave behind.
Legacy
When defining your identity, an important task is to consider the legacy you will leave behind. Here family and friends may be of assistance. You can almost surely looked to each other for support in your ventures to ensure that your initiatives are prosperous and inspire generations to come. That’s what leaning on friends and family is all about.
Mental Health
A close circle of friends and family can ease your journey. These are the people who provide a safe place in which one can be vulnerable and process issues instead of bottling them up. No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness. As immaculate as some people in power may seem, their lives are often fraught with a great deal of anxiety. Researchers have found that 72% of the entrepreneurs reported mental health concerns, a figure much greater than that of the control group. Indeed, it may come as no surprise that entrepreneurs are susceptible to mental health issues, considering the arduous journey involved in growing a company.
It is important that every person connect with someone. It is important to open up. A lot of successful entrepreneurs share details about their struggle with clinical depression and the importance of being forthcoming about mental health. It is daunting to admit that you’re flailing. And it takes courage to address those issues. But with the patience of, and support from loved ones, a more resilient leader is born.
Stagnation
It is common to believe leaders must work non-stop to keep their companies thriving, but they are hardly immune to burnout and stagnation. A recent study showed that hourly productivity drops when someone’s work week exceeds 50 hours. Dedicating time to family and friends is a way to relax and renew before jumping back into chaos. It can be as simple as a weekly dinner out or a spontaneous excursion. Ensuring a meaningful relationship with loved ones goes hand in hand with hard work in attaining overall success.
Mark Zuckerberg recently remarked, “If you count the time I’m in the office, it’s probably no more than 50 to 60 hours a week. But if you count all the time I’m focused on our mission, that’s basically my whole life.” For Zuckerberg, the time he spends outside of the office is far from wasted. He has decided to take two months of paternity leave to care for his newborn daughter. By investing in his family, Zuckerberg places his decisions in perspective and leads with his mission in mind.
Character Development
No one is born fully equipped with the ability to command an army, let alone a company. The term “leadership” is derived from the Greek word “charattein”, meaning “to engrave”. An individual develops the qualities of a leader over the course of a lifetime. Early life lessons, courtesy of family and role models define personal values and standards later in life.
The family’s and friends’ perspectives count, too. There is virtue in helping others accomplish their goals, especially those closest to you. Understand why experts emphasize on the importance of empathy, patience and self-reflection. Taking into account the diverse opinions of people in your own networks – both personal and professional, gives you a multi-faceted view of the facts. Taking these views into account, you can then plan for the success of the group.
The day you stop evolving, you start stagnating. Your strategy, your marketing plan, your target market, nothing is set in stone. The world is changing rapidly each day. Your industry will likely experience a shift, whether slight or monumental, at some point. Contact us for our free one-hour consultation on latest ideas to make your business grow in today’s world. The best way to remain relevant is keeping your eyes open for changing tides, your mind open to new ideas and staying flexible.
Don’t be too afraid of making your own mistakes!
