Life and Work Balance Is Doable (Post 1 of 3)
The September issue of Harvard Business Review had an article titled “Work+Home+Community+Self”. Sort of clumsy title… but a good article.
It was written by Stewart D. Friedman, a Wharton professor. He’s the author of Leading the Life You Want: Skills for Integrating Work and Life.
His take on life balance is based on a concept he calls “four way wins.” The four ways are work, home, community, and self. Instead of trade-offs between these four different parts of a life, his approach is to look for a way to have a “win” that improves all four dimensions.
Interesting approach!
In leadership, he proposes following three guidelines. Be:
- Real
- Whole
- Innovative
In being real, he states leaders need to know what matters, embody values, line up actions with values, use stories to share values, picture your legacy, and hold yourself accountable. “Getting real” took me some time.
For example, on my first wedding anniversary, I told my wife to celebrate on her own… not a good call!
Luckily, since then, I’ve righted the ship and identified personal values that drive my life: caring, commitment, humor, and honesty.
On my next post, I’ll share additional thoughts on Friedman’s on balance.