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Setting Free

Being a leader and also having a life seems quite optional for leaders who are always on, 24/7 types that set the pace for their organization and make it look like having a life outsider work is the realm of the losers. There maybe many reasons that drive a person to treat work like it were the only thing that mattered and had value in their life. But once this style of work starts producing results, they get addicted to it for bigger, greater success which often comes about. That vindicates their style of work and they redouble their efforts. They would find it hard to appreciate how anyone could aspire for a leadership role in their organization if they had a full life outside work. 

In a sense it's the difference between an amateur and a professional. An amateur violinist practices with the all-volunteer orchestra in their town a few times a week, goes on with the rest of their lives being a chiropractor or accountant and performs in ten concerts in a year. They may be someone you know well and often meet at the gym - you have things in common. You would have never guessed about them being a violinist in their spare time unless they told you. It's a bit different than being the number one violinist in the world. 

..intense work styles are often celebrated as the only way to get to the top and be a super-productive leader. Indeed, surveys show that managers and executives describe the “ideal worker” as someone with no personal life or caregiving responsibilities. And a majority of leaders themselves — the ones who set the tone for organizations and model behavior for everyone else — think work-life balance is “at best an elusive ideal and at worst a complete myth.” In an interview, three CEOs rated as top performers by HBR said the job was 24/7 and admitted they weren’t great role models.

Leaders at the top of the food chain should not be looked upon a role model. They can contribute most by letting the next level of leaders thrive in the organization without having to give up their whole lives for their career. 

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