Why the Right Leader Can Change Everything
January 8, 2026
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Employees overwhelmingly desire better work-life balance. But just because they desire it doesn’t mean it’s easily achieved.
According to CNBC, 80% of employees would consider leaving their job for better work-life balance, and 40% of leaders believe that work-life balance is unattainable.
Now, before you begin to believe this is a column written to shame companies for demanding too much from their team members, it’s not. It’s designed to begin a healthy discussion about the topic and dispel some myths about work-life balance that we need to leave behind.
There is a common belief that work-life balance is achieving an equal distribution of time, energy, and passion between work and personal life. That there are these clear lines between when you are working and when you are not. That there should be a specific amount of time spent being productive and a certain amount of time being unproductive.
There is a common belief that work-life balance is achieving an equal distribution of time, energy, and passion between work and personal life. That there are these clear lines between when you are working and when you are not.
This might make sense in a utopian world where there are no real responsibilities, desires, or consequences, but it’s not the real world. This perfect 50/50 split is unrealistic because life is ever changing and dynamic. Where demands on us can shift and change from one moment to the next.
For example, if one day you wake up and find out you have cancer, your priorities in life quickly change (as they should.) If a spouse or significant other has a medical emergency, you shift gears and dedicate attention and energy to help. So, attempting to be rigid with allocating time will lead to frustration and a sense of failure when the inevitable imbalance occurs.
As if this weren’t enough, the idea of an equal split also ignores the internet and cell phones.
The former CEO of Starbucks, Laxman Natasimhan, was let go after just 17 months after he oversaw a $32 Billion drop in market value. His viral video advocating for work-life balance recirculated the internet after he told Fortune that, “I am very disciplined about balance. If there is anything after 6 PM and I am in town, it’s got to be a pretty high bar to keep me away from the family. Anybody who gets a minute of time after that, better be sure that it’s important. Because if it’s not, it will just wait for another day.”
You can’t tell me that the CEO of a publicly traded company with more than 32,000 stores in 80 countries should pull off the proverbial 9-5 in his or her time zone and wait to cover anything else the next day. There are too many opportunities, challenges, and people globally to begin to believe that they would be successful.
Conversely, Eric Schmidt, Ex-Google CEO, said in a recent video, “Google decided that work-life balance and going home early and working from home was more important than winning.” While Schmidt has now done a U-turn on his claim, there is undoubtedly some truth in it.
Both Natasimhan and Schmidt highlight the complexity and difficulty of achieving a perfect 50/50 work-life balance, especially if you care deeply about performance. A great way to think about this is to focus on integrating work and life rather than balancing them.
Figuring out the right system for you to integrate your work life and home life is the secret. The tricky part is that these might have seasons where the integration is heavily weighted on productivity and performance. The following season could have a heavy lean towards comfort and family. Think of it like an accountant in tax season. If that is the chosen profession for someone, there is no avoiding a busy season between February and April. If you decide to be a football coach, there is no avoiding a demanding season between August and December.
This doesn’t mean you won’t see your family, exercise, or play a round of golf during your busy season, but if you care about performance, the integration will be different than it is during the non-busy season.
Whether you are a leader working to achieve better work-life integration for yourself or to ensure you don’t burn out your team, having a game plan is essential. Here are some strategies to help:
Everyone might have varying definitions of what work-life integration means to them based on their stage of life, goals, or ambitions. Take Domola Adamolekun, the Red Lobster CEO, tapped with turning around the floundering company (See what I did there).
He told Fortune his career mentality is one thing: “My life is my work. My work is my life. I have never been a person who separated work and life; it mixes for me.” He also recognizes this isn’t the case for everyone. “Those who get stressed by a lack of work-life balance should take breaks, ‘build in buffers,’ and take days off when things are less busy.”
You don’t have to be Adamolekun, and you don’t have to work at Red Lobster with him. The key is for you to define what work-life integration means to you. Is it being able to coach a kid’s sports team? Is it being able to take a few vacations a year completely unplugged from work? Is it able to clock in a 9 and out at 5?
If you don’t define what work-life integration means to you, there is a good chance you end up in a situation that doesn’t align with your priorities.
If you refuse to define what work-life integration means to you, there is a good chance you end up in a situation that aligns differently with your priorities.
If I hear one more person say, “I am just so busy,” like it’s a badge of honor, I’m going to throw it up. As I coach leaders in the Accelerate Sales Leadership Program, you don’t get paid for being busy; you get paid for being productive.
Your job is not to be busy; your job is to be productive.
When you are productive at work, you are fulfilled. Conversely, unproductive employees have a hard time finding fulfillment and purpose. They are constantly searching for the next vacation, weekend, or job opportunity. It’s easy to get a long to-do list and begin feeling overwhelmed with everything you “have to do.” While the list might get long, the secret is to prioritize it into the most productive and important tasks.
You aren’t a robot. You are a human being who must rely on being healthy physically, mentally, and spiritually. The one thing no person can outrun is their health. Depending on the stress level of your job, mixing in exercise, ample sleep, and a spiritual routine will help maintain the energy and focus needed to perform effectively both at work and at home.
Since everyone might be different, leaders must set a good example for team members and not try to act like superheroes. Mental health is one of the biggest threats to society, and to act like it’s soft or a weakness is an egregious leadership error. Every company, from big to small, should prioritize the health and well-being of its team members.
There is an old saying that I love, “You can do anything, but you can’t do everything.” Too often, leaders say yes to everything, leaving them swimming in the sea of mediocrity.
You can do anything, but you can’t do everything.
Recognize that taking on too many commitments will increase stress and decrease productivity. Be selective about the things you say “yes” to and the things you say “No” to. Make these decisions based on your priorities.
Letting go of your current thinking around work-life balance will take work. However, if you embrace the idea of work-life integration, it will be a game-changer for you and your team. It’s no longer about trying to get to a perfect 50/50 split on work and life. It’s about integrating your work and life based on the season you are in. Remember, setting boundaries, focusing on productivity, valuing health, and being comfortable with saying “no” are your tools for mastering this blend.
As you navigate this journey, encourage a culture that values flexibility and trust. By doing so, you’ll enhance your own well-being and foster an environment where your team members can thrive.
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About the Author: John Eades is the CEO of LearnLoft and the creator of the Accelerate Leadership System. He was named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices. John is also the author of Building the Best: 8 Proven Leadership Principles to Elevate Others to Success. You can follow him on Instagram @johngeades.
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