The Hidden Cost of Being ‘Always Available’
Leadership comes with many challenges. A never-ending workload combined with everyone vying for your attention can take a toll on anyone.
The statistics about leadership burnout are staggering. According to Deloitte (a global professional services company that provides audits, consulting, financial advisory, etc.), 77% of professionals have experienced burnout at their current jobs and 75% of C-suite executives are seriously considering quitting their jobs for better well-being support.
A Forbes study showed that 60% of senior leaders say their mental health has been impacted by work stress over the past year.
82% of executives struggle with feelings of burnout, but the majority remain silent about their struggles, fearing the repercussions of appearing vulnerable. – Harvard Business Review.
Transformation
A major contributing factor to leader burnout is that they are often easily accessible. I recently heard a CEO discussing this issue on a podcast. He stated that the more successful you become, the less accessible you should be.
When I initially heard that I was taken aback, but as he explained himself, I began to understand.
He admitted that limiting his accessibility wasn’t his idea, he hired a consultant that helped him understand that he couldn’t be everything to everyone. He also realized that for his business to grow, he had to become more strategic with whom he gave his time. Otherwise, he’d be adding to the staggering statistics above.
In this article, I’ll dive deeper into setting boundaries and efficiently utilize your time.
The Availability Trap
The cultural expectation for leaders is to always be on… 24/7. Often, leaders try to meet these unrealistic demands to avoid losing respect. Particularly in the case of new leaders, they want to prove their worth and lead by example by going above and beyond.
Some of the 24/7 expectations include:
- Always being available
- Reachable at any time either by email, phone, or messaging platforms.
- Quick response times
- Even if it’s outside of work hours, you’re expected to respond… quickly.
- Flexible Scheduling
- Expectations to adjust your schedule to accommodate emergencies for everyone else.
Trying to meet cultural expectations is a trap. As much as we may want to be everything to everyone, it’s not sustainable.
Common Misconceptions
There are many misconceptions about what good leadership is. For example, some people think good leaders are all-knowing or should have all the answers. However, a frequently overlooked and underrated trait of a good leader is the ability to delegate efficiently.
The best leaders understand that for their organizations to thrive, they must lean on the expertise of others and trust that the people they have appointed to key positions can and will do their jobs efficiently.
The most successful leaders don’t have their hands in every pot because they have entrusted others to handle different aspects of the job. This enables them to devote more attention to areas where they can be more impactful.
Decision Making
For this to work well, it starts with the leader’s ability to make sound decisions. Decision-making directly affects the productivity and overall success of organizations.
An inability to make sound and quick decisions confuses, wavers trust, and lowers morale. However, when a leader is a strong decision maker, they have a clear direction, manage conflicts efficiently, and foster trust amongst the team.
The True Costs
Mental Bandwidth
Leading an organization is a tall task and requires a great deal of mental bandwidth. In addition to making critical decisions, managing diverse teams, and handling complex situations, you must find time for yourself. But this can be tough because the job is continuous and so many depend on you.
Relationships
The long hours and constant demands often put a strain on personal relationships. Many executives have reported feeling tired and less motivated to do things they enjoy, like spending time with their family or playing golf with friends.
The “Hustle Culture” often has a positive or heroic connotation but can erode relationships.
The best leaders are keenly aware of this so they have learned to prioritize delegation. For an organization to grow, leaders must surround themselves with individuals they trust to fill the gaps they once filled.
Innovation and Creativity
If the job of a leader isn’t already challenging enough, today, a new crop of talent is entering the workforce… Generation Z.
I did a quick Google search for the characteristics of Generation Z talent and here’s what I found.
- High expectations for work-life balance
- Strong emphasis on purpose-driven careers
- Digital communication preferences
- Lack of real-world experience
- Need for frequent feedback
Considering these points, an inability to adapt to new ways of thinking, managing, and leading may lead to innovation and creativity barriers.
This adds a layer of complexity to the job of a leader because they may be accustomed to a particular way of running their organization, but must adapt to accommodate new talent and ideas in today’s market.
Leaders must find a way to communicate with their teams, while simultaneously making them feel heard, respected, and trusted to share their ideas. The most talented employees want to feel appreciated, therefore retaining this talent requires commitment from you to show them you value their time and efforts.
Health Implications
So, how do you do this without burning yourself out?
As stated earlier, leaders can’t be everything to everyone. Yes, employees are more demanding (especially Generation Z employees), but it’s not conducive for the leader of an organization to take every employee under his or her wing.
You only have so much mental bandwidth and studies show that taking on too many responsibilities can impact overall health and cause a decline in job performance.
To avoid these inevitable problems and prevent burnout, leaders must learn to properly manage their time and availability and lean on the expertise of their senior team members.
Signs You’re Too Available
Personal Stress Signals
Sometimes we get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of work, that we begin to take on more tasks and make ourselves more available than we should. If you are not careful, a gradual buildup starts and things can quickly get out of hand.
One of the telltale signs you are taking on too much is when our bodies give us personal stress signals.
For example, some physical signals are:
- Aches and pains in the shoulder, neck, or back
- Chest discomfort
- Headaches or dizziness
- Fatigue or shortness of breath
- Stomach issues
Some emotional signs are:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Anger or resentment
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Sudden mood shifts
These issues should be monitored closely. Seek medical attention if you experience any of these symptoms.
Team Autonomy
In 2020 the world was hit by the COVID pandemic, forcing everyone to adjust their business practices. Remote work was the norm and Zoom calls became routine.
Employees started having more autonomy over their schedules and workload, leaving some leaders scrambling to figure out how to manage this new way of working.
Fostering virtual relationships while simultaneously respecting boundaries was difficult. A common concern amongst leaders was that they would lose the connection and trust with their teams.
Consequently, many leaders made themselves more available virtually since everyone was working from home. Some took a proactive approach and experimented with different ways to maintain synergy. However, since this was a new situation, most were learning on the fly and experimenting.
Reactive vs. Proactive
Ideally, leaders want to take a proactive approach, today we are still adjusting to remote and hybrid work. So many leaders find themselves being reactive more than they’d like.
When it comes to being reactive vs proactive, organizations aim for a ratio of 80% proactive to 20% reactive. Whenever an organization is being reactive too often, there is a good chance the leader is being stretched too thin and taking on more than they should.
Improve Your Ratio
If your reactive vs. proactive work ratio isn’t ideal, there are some things you can do to move it back in the right direction.
- Conduct regular risk assessments
- Closely monitor market trends
- Focus on strategic planning
- Creating a culture of continuous improvement to build other leaders
- Empower employees to identify and present potential issues
- Prioritize data analysis
- Proactive communication through the proper chains
First Steps to Better Boundaries
Setting boundaries is critical for leaders to do their jobs effectively and maintain their well-being. Always being available often leads to mismanagement of time and burnout. Leaders should strive to be strategically accessible as they empower and entrust others to take on more responsibilities through effective delegation.
Experienced leaders understand the value of time and they have solid boundaries. They have learned to say “No”; without guilt, whenever something doesn’t align with their priorities or exceeds their capacity.
Boundaries should be set early. Sometimes, employees may be used to coming to you, as the leader, for their issues… large or small. Once you start setting boundaries, they should understand that there are proper channels for this. As a leader, you must learn to delegate certain responsibilities and trust people to do their job.
Common Pushback
Don’t be alarmed if there’s pushback, people don’t like change, but change can create unique opportunities for growth and team development.
When you change your availability, be proactive… make your team aware of how it will benefit everyone. Highlight the fact that there will be more focus and efficiency across the board.
Every decision is no longer your responsibility. Different tasks will be shared throughout the organization, promoting more attention to specific matters, better focus, and trust.
Conclusion
Taking control of your time is a critical part of leadership. Always being available hinders your efforts, limits your growth, and strains your relationships. The best leaders trust their team and delegate efficiently.
Take our 15-minut delegation diagnostic and discover where you’re losing 10+ hours every week.
