What do you do if your work-life balance as a leader is being neglected?

As a leader, being a role model for others is crucial to personal and team success. Burnout is real and the natural tendency we have, as managers, is to keep going. I feel that I should show up as "fine", so I don't let my team down. In reality, you are modeling a disregard for balance, and it comes at a cost; your team then thinks they should not have a balance either. Demonstrating you have outside interests is healthy, okay and also good for business. Stepping away, taking a break can be reenergizing, lead to a more positive outlook and allow you to be more innovative. A friend once coined the phrase "A Balanced Life Works" instead of "Work Life Balance" and I have tried to live by that ever since - and pass that on to my teams.

Acknowledgment is the first step. Assess your priorities, set boundaries, and delegate tasks where possible. Schedule regular downtime for yourself, communicate openly with your team about your needs, and seek support if necessary. One thing I’ve learnt is that achieving balance is an ongoing process — we need to regularly reassess and adjust as needed to maintain equilibrium.

Well, agreed that before action you need to recognise the problem. And of course this is an individual choice; I have had periods of my career where I prioritised work over personal time. The point being that was a conscious decision. It is a question you should constantly ask yourself and answer honestly. Remembering of course that you don't get that time/those years back. Every one of your children's birthdays you miss or the opportunity to read them a bedtime story is gone forever.

I believe that sometimes we as leaders think that we’re too important—so important that we can never take a break. Never disconnect. Never say no. That if we stop, the train will fall off the tracks. If we disconnect, something bad will happen. In reality, the train will de-rail if we never stop because we’ll burn ourselves out, which harms us and the team. In reality, when we choose to step away and disconnect, it sends the message that we trust our teams. We empower them to step up to drive the train when we take a break to recharge.

Guilty as charged - overtime as a leader, we need to put a serious note on this as we may not be fully aware - this wrong approach, pushes our people to have the same unhealthy work environment and leads to burned out. Always be mindful in achieving a healthy work-life balance, setting boundaries between work & personal life allows for dedicated time to recharge & connect with loved ones. Let us foster this to achieve long term overall happiness and true fulfillment for both. Delegating, prioritising, practicing self-care and seeking help are just one of few steps to ultimately enhance your ability to lead effectively and promote trust and empowerment as well as be a continuous inspiration to many.

As tempting as it is, do not work 18 hours a day. Instead, take care of yourself. This could look like taking more breaks, going on walks, meditating, or getting a massage. Remember: You cannot lead your team effectively if you are not taking care of yourself.

In my view Setting clear boundaries between your work and personal life is crucial. For example, you could decide to stop checking work emails after 6 PM or to keep weekends strictly for personal time. This helps create a clear distinction between your work and personal life, reducing the chances of work-related stress spilling over into your personal time.

Establishing boundaries is essential for protecting your personal time and well-being. Communicate your boundaries clearly to your team, colleagues, and superiors. This might include setting specific working hours, designating times when you are not available for work-related tasks, and creating a separation between work and personal spaces.

I’ve realised from my own personal experience that I am able to perform better at work if I have found time to switch off and focus on family, sports and relaxation. I know I can be a workaholic, loyal you my employer and committed to me deliverables but that shouldn’t be at the expense of my mental health of my outside work relationships. Over the years I have created boundaries to maintain the high performance work ethic with my busy life as a working mum. I thrive from it, my family appreciates it and my employer acknowledges it. For me they may be simple things such as planning in a workout before work, finishing work a bit earlier to collect the kids or taking a Monday off to enjoy a long weekend.

Establishing clear boundaries is pivotal for achieving a balanced work-life routine. Determine designated working hours and times for personal activities, like switching off work-related notifications after a certain hour and preserving weekends for leisure and family commitments. It's imperative to effectively communicate these boundaries to colleagues and team members to manage expectations and cultivate mutual respect for personal time.

To be successful as a leader you need to learn to delegate. To learn to delegate there are 3 key points to consider: 1. Your top skills and skills gaps 2. The value of your time 3. Your capacity to trust others Knowing what you do best, allows you to delegate tasks that others could perform easily. You can't do everything yourself and your time should be spent on tasks that require your unique skills. Delegation requires a level of trust in your team. This trust makes team members feel valued and confident in their roles. To learn to delegate is a key process to grow as a leader. Take your time and soon enough you will be glad you did.

Delegating tasks to your team members not only helps to lighten your workload but also empowers your team and helps them to develop their skills. For instance, if you're used to handling all the project management tasks, consider delegating some of these responsibilities to a capable team member. This can free up some of your time, allowing you to focus on other important aspects of your role.

Effective task delegation could help you get some time from the hectic schedule. Actually the work of the office should not be done at home. At home you should prioritize your time for your family. Also delegate the task to the right person who has required skills. Always schedule your tasks at work which you could not bring back home.

Delegating is essential for leaders and for those aspiring to that position. It's a practice that, above all, involves trust in your team. I believe the first step lies in providing accurate information about the task at hand. It's important to clearly explain your expectations for the project, set deadlines, and other relevant details. Additionally, it's essential to establish that, in case of any doubts or challenges that arise along the way, there's always an open line of communication.

Often times, it is natural to work on everything as a leader. However, this has gradual impact on your life. So, effectively delegating low priority tasks to the members enable you to maintain/improve work-life balance.

Your mental health should always be a top priority. Balancing work/deadlines and personal life can be overwhelming. However, it's crucial to remember that your work, projects, and businesses can carry on without you. Your life, on the other hand, cannot be replaced. It's NOT possible to pause and resume it later. You matter. Take time to reflect on your progress, acknowledge your achievements, and start as new. You can do this through journaling, going for a walk, meditation, or spending time with your intimate friends. Self-care should be your non-negotiable routine to help you recharge your energy to maintain your well-being as part of your leadership role.

Taking time for yourself is crucial for maintaining mental and physical health. This could mean setting aside time each day for a workout, ensuring you get enough sleep, or scheduling regular lunch dates with friends. These activities can help you relax, recharge, and maintain your overall well-being.

In 2007, Arianna Huffington, the co-founder and former editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post famously collapsed from exhaustion, which led her to reassess her priorities and emphasize the importance of well-being in both personal and professional life. Following this wake-up call, she implemented policies at The Huffington Post that encouraged employees to disconnect from work during non-business hours and to prioritize sleep and self-care. Huffington's advocacy for work-life balance not only improved employee morale and productivity but also set a precedent for corporate leaders to prioritize well-being alongside success.

Self-care is indispensable in one's routine, encompassing activities like exercise, meditation, or hobbies to relax and rejuvenate. Prioritize these activities by scheduling them into your calendar as you would a business meeting. This ensures you allocate the necessary time for maintaining your physical and mental health, crucial for sustaining high performance in your leadership role.

It is hard to prioritize self care when the team is waiting for directions and deadlines seem looming. One of the things that really worked for me is asking myself this question often: “What would happen if I, as a leader, don’t have enough rest? How would that impact the team and the work that I’m stewarding?” Often times, the answers will justify why self care prioritization is key to great work.

Support can also include hiring an associate who can help with some of the tasks contributing to the work overload. From my personal experience, sometimes the hardest thing to do is to identify what has to be exclusively done by you and what may not necessarily require your expertise. Letting go of more basic tasks can release space for thinking and well-being. In addition to this, support may include getting professional counselling or psychological support - as sometimes overworking ourselves is covering up some unconscious underlying issue. Either way, recognising that you need support is the biggest step towards making it easier on yourself.

My view Seeking support, whether it's from a mentor, coach, or therapist, can provide valuable advice and strategies to help you manage your work-life balance. For instance, you might reach out to a mentor who has experience in your field and ask for advice on how they manage their work-life balance. Alternatively, you might consider working with a life coach or therapist who can provide strategies and tools to help you better manage your time and stress.

One thing I've found helpful whenever I felt my work-life balance was disturbed is I would talk to my mentor. Sharing experiences allows you to listen to different perspectives on how we can improve your work-Life balance. You get to learn how to deal with stress that comes from a lot of decisions to be made or in-decision in the workplace. Seeking support from someone you trust helps you manage responsibilities more effectively.

Seeking support when facing challenges with work-life balance is a proactive and wise decision. It demonstrates self-awareness and a commitment to personal growth and well-being. Utilizing the expertise and perspectives of mentors, coaches, or peers can provide valuable insights and strategies for managing responsibilities more effectively and achieving a healthier balance in life.

If you can afford to, hire help. I am looking at you, in particular, executive women. The percentage of men who do most of the housework decreases as their salary increases. For women, it remains the same no matter how senior they become. But men, you're not off the hook. Sure, get a mentor, but wouldn't you rather get a cleaner or someone to do the ironing? How about a personal trainer? Someone to walk the dog? Did you know you can hire someone to do all your gift shopping? Someone will do all your clothes shopping. Some personal assistants will schedule the hair/dental/health appointments for everyone in your family. There are times when work puts too much demand on your energy. There are times when it's home.

Regularly reassessing your work-life balance is key to maintaining it. For example, you might set a reminder to check in with yourself every month to see how you're feeling and whether your current strategies for maintaining work-life balance are effective. If they're not, you can then make necessary adjustments, such as delegating more tasks or setting stricter boundaries for your work time.

I recommend traffic light boundaries. Red boundaries are those you won't cross. They might be around behaviour or the language you won't tolerate. Amber boundaries are acceptable up to a point. For example, you might work late once a week but not anymore. Green boundaries are those which are red for others—a 9 am start, for example. I don't have a school run to do, so if a 7 am start is needed, I'll do it! Being clear about your red, amber and green boundaries demonstrates flexibility and ambition. When you review them make sure you do it at a time when they aren't being tested.

Remember, a burnt-out leader is a less effective leader. In Supply Chain, a proactive leader is the needed to focus on the high-impact tasks. By prioritizing your well-being, you'll be better equipped to navigate the complexities of the supply chain. Encourage your team to take breaks, use their vacation time, and leave work on time. By leading by example, you can create a healthier work culture for everyone, which will ultimately benefit your team and your company's success.

First of all, the imbalance should be figured out, i.e, is it work related or is it personal. Then analysing the root cause could be helpful in identifying the remedial actions. One thing that I have found helpful is to write down the issues, have an unbiased approach towards the issues, acknowledge and the solutions will automatically come up. It is all about self awareness and acknowledging that we are all human beings and that we cannot always be at our best.

Time to rethink this challenge. The reality is that work and life are not distinct and separate things, work is a part of our lives - an important part. So lets move away from this false dichotomy that work and life are two different things. Lets accept that work is part of our life. Then each of us need to decide how we live our lives without feeling like we are missing or sacrificing everything that is important in our life. Learn to be efficient, effective, focused and thoughtful about how we spend our time. It's not about balance it's about how we prioritize, its about how efficient we are, how creative we are and how fast we adopt technology and tools to help us do more, live more, experience more have more fun!

A combination of all of the recommendations are indeed essential to be in a position to be on top of the game. The acid test is always about your level of stress, your regular check ups results and the execution of your objectives. The more intense is the effort to meet the objectives, the more intense should the effort in bringing the attention to our self care. I guess this is where came in the word ‘balance’ therein. It’s all about this equilibrium to reach, it takes time, effort and willingness.

Balancing personal and professional life is a challenge. To realign it, I usually take a five-pillar approach. The first is self-knowledge, where I try to rank priorities to focus on. Then you have to delegate. Trust and confidence in teams is key at this point. Setting boundaries is also fundamental, establishing professional and leisure hours (and trying to stick to them). Another point that I consider fundamental is to set aside time for self-care, those activities that recharge our energy. Finally, be flexible. It's important to listen, both to others and to yourself, and make adjustments to maintain balance.