SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership — tracks feedback from more than 190,000 business leaders. We run the poll question each week in our e-newsletter.
Last week, we asked: How well do you model having a balanced life for the members of your team?
- Very well — I’m the epitome of balance and they see it clearly: 16.39%
- Well — I set a good example most of the time but not always: 53.15%
- Not well — they likely see me as a bit out of balance: 21.01%
- Poorly — they should avoid following my example if possible: 9.45%
Don’t ignore balance until it’s too late. We like to think we’re in balance as leaders but given our type-A personalities, it’s not likely. I’d venture to guess the 53% of you who say you’re good at it would get a different (less balanced) answer from the members of your team. Bottom line — don’t ignore balance until it’s too late. Look at my personal cautionary tale about the heart attack I had a week ago and seriously rethink how you approach balance. I was caught off guard by it — try not to have a similar nasty surprise yourself.
Mike Figliuolo is managing director of thoughtLEADERS and author of “One Piece of Paper: The Simple Approach to Powerful, Personal Leadership.”