A Call To Redesign Leadership

Getting Closer To The Truth

“When men at the top of the pile start exchanging power, privilege and fat paychecks for the chance to spend more time with their families, it says that something is really wrong with the way we work.”

So says Erin Anderssen in her article – “These Dads Say Long Work Hours are Costing Them a Full Family Life.”

Ms. Anderssen begins her piece by discussing the recent decision of two male CEOs who left their jobs to create more time for family (one moved to a VP position, the other resigned).

She also expertly analyzes what contributes to this problem, referencing studies that show professionals are working longer hours (50 hours, with 54% doing extra work evenings and weekends) but not necessarily with better results:

“All that extra work isn’t doing us any favors, or even increasing long-term productivity. It’s hard to make a health argument for women leaning in – or men hanging in – with longer work hours when overwork has been linked to an increase in heart disease and diabetes, higher rates of depression and suicide among middle-aged men. Recent research has even raised alarm bells about the risk of sitting for long spells.”

Anderssen concludes, what’s required for real change is a new style of leadership.

Although she credits women with this new approach, if you ask any of the male or female integrated leaders ThirdPath has been working with, they’d say it is less about gender and more about the leader’s commitment to an integrated life.

Her quote from Mark Weinberger, the CEO at Ernst & Young, sums it up well when he says:

“You can have all the initiatives you want, but until [employees] see people in senior positions standing up and taking advantage of it, I don’t think they fully believe they have permission that you can get ahead and take advantage of those programs.”

Clearly we need more progressive public policy to make sure all families can follow a more flexible approach to work.

However, it turns out the work ThirdPath has been doing to support male and female leaders to model an integrated approach to work and life is also essential to change.

Click here to learn more about being an integrated leader, someone who has time for work and time for life!

Or click here if you’d like to join one of the groups we run to support professionals to follow an integrated approach to work and life.

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