A WORK-LIFE balanced business leader can strike a balance to lead with excellence, drive strategy, structure and purpose without losing themselves in the process.
This type of leadership navigates between various demands and organisational needs to enable production systems to function in a predictable and sequential manner to achieve high output.
It is the utmost duty of a manager to balance work and personal life.
Crucially, the manager has to possess emotional intelligence to manage their emotions and those of the workforce. Moreover, the leader has to be firm and confident so that they can make sound decisions.
Build systems that function without you
It takes the ability of a manager to build a system that can function seamlessly in their absence. If the absence of the leader breaks the process, then the presence of the leader is a hindrance or bottleneck in the system.
The manager or leader has to identify skilled workers in each business unit and effectively communicate the expectations and delegate tasks.
The leadership has to design standard operating procedures and workflows that support autonomy for their teams. Regular system audits to eliminate or reduce bottlenecks are scheduled to sustain this level of operation that supports both business growth and personal rhythm.
Effective delegation
As a leader or a manager, you have to understand the components of the task so that when you assign a worker, you clearly explain how you expect the employee to execute it.
It has to be part of the organisational culture to allow employees to make decisions during the production process and consult when they have failed to solve the challenge on their own. Moreover, each stage of production has to be documented and explained clearly to workers so that it becomes the source of truth.
The management has to build an organisational culture that enables the workers to believe in themselves and have trust in the leadership.
The manager has to make sure that the resources needed for each stage of production are adequate and that team members possess the requisite skills to effectively carry out the delegated task. Balanced leaders delegate outcomes, not just tasks.
They do this by empowering their teams at every level, so that their absence becomes a sign of organisational strength, not a business risk.
Decision-making matrices are created to clarify all the decision-making processes at authority levels. This model is designed to offload operational tasks and elevate the strategic focus of the leader.
A manager has to be in touch with the supervisors to get regular updates and feedback on the progress; provide solutions, if there are challenges. The system has to be reviewed regularly to allow for improvements so that it will function effectively.
Protect mental space
You cannot lead others effectively if your headspace is malnourished. Your mental clarity as a business leader must be treated as a business asset.
Little things like blocking out your calendar for some “white space” [Juliet Funt] help with affording you some thinking time, digital detox time, or something as simple as a walking meeting. I take a library day once a month to help me strategise about my business in a less crucible space.
Management develops policies that protect employees from all kinds of victimisation to ensure that their psychological safety and well-being are protected.
In such an environment, workers feel free to air their views and suggestions at all levels of the organisation. They can take risks to try new methods of carrying out their task and be innovative.
Moreover, the management has to develop a culture that encourages employees to always seek help when they are facing challenges at their workplace and private lives.
As a manager or a leader, you have to have an open-door policy to allow employees to approach your office to communicate their issues and help them find solutions or coaching if there is a need for it.
One of the issues that could cause mental health challenges is too much workload with minimal remuneration. The manager has to strike a balance between work-life and discourage overworking.
Be part of the success story
Balanced leaders are never bystanders; they are ever so present in everything they build. Start by defining what success looks like for you as a leader, before defining the success for the organisation. This type of leadership balance helps create a success story that includes personal legacy, not just professional impact. This is done by understanding the history, vision, mission and purpose of the organisation and aligning your aspirations to the organisation's long-term strategy.
Measure what matters
Balanced life leaders have figured out how to measure the aspects that matter both in business and life. They understand that data drives business and meaning drives leaders.
Tracking both business key performance indicators and personal alignment metrics, such as strategic vs reactive time, time with family, or even as detailed as energy levels, helps create a balanced scorecard that includes both business outcomes and life fulfilment metrics. The goal is to make that as a leader, you do not let performance outpace your purpose.
Family and leadership
When family and leadership are aligned, your life becomes a unified legacy; this is the glue that holds everything together.
This is easier said than done. Inviting your family into your purpose, not just availing your calendar time, and celebrating both business milestones and family moments with the same intensity, is necessary.
I personally have shared vision boards with my family, which helps me find the rhythm that brings my leadership mission and family values into alignment with the grand purpose of work-life balance.
- Innocent Hadebe, with 25 years of experience and credentials as a John Maxwell certified business coach, serves as a trusted executive advisor through Innocent Leadership Group (ILG), empowering global leaders to think boldly, lead transformational change, and turn operational complexity into measurable success.
