Balance is dictated by your goals
We're back to discuss whether you need to work 100-hour weeks to be successful.
There's been a new resurgence on Twitter about whether or not people in their 20s should work weekends in order to be successful.
Each time it happens (about 1-2x a year), everyone gets up and arm trying to share their beliefs and convince the opposite "sides" of their error. To me, there's a lot of nuances to be considered.
Some people live their lives in a constant state of hard work. They are always pushing themselves to the limit and never have an off day. But is this really necessary? Do you need to be working 7 days a week, 12 hours per day, 365 days out of the year just to get ahead? Probably not.
In fact, balance is often dictated by your goals. If your goal is light (such as getting through school), then it's probably okay if you don't go full throttle all the time. The same goes for leading a team; different members will require different levels of intensity based on what they are doing and how much responsibility they have overachieving that goal.
I strongly believe that most people should not make a habit of working more than 45-50 hours per week. When I say habit, I mean over the course of three or more years. There is simply no need for it and whatever need there is currently will be diminished as technology gets better and better.
In my opinion, I think over 50 hours a week and you really have to make sure that your input is resulting in the output you desire. I see so many pour their hearts and souls into a job, only to get a middle-class salary (with no equity). This doesn't make sense. You may as well pursue your passion and keep the equity by consulting and building enterprise value. In most cases, your hourly workweek should match your personal definition of success is.
I work about 14-15/7 and have for the last six or so years. That's just how my ambition guides me. It's not something to brag about--it's an unfortunate experience--but it is often required in order to reach goals of a certain magnitude. Most goals do not require sacrificing everything to reach them, and that is what I want to discourage.
If you're an ambitious person and you have a team of ambitious people, always take stock of how they define success. It may not be what you believe it to be.
Mismanaged expectations have a way of destroying culture and you want to make sure you're on the same page with everyone in your org. We aim to do this constantly at KnowCap as it helps us paint a picture of each of our team members.
If someone wants to go into VC, then we create a roadmap for them to get there and challenge them every step of the way. On the opposite end of the spectrum, if someone comes in and simply wants to develop a skillset...we have a pathway for them as well.
Every pathway is different just like every definition of success is different. As leaders and future leaders, we must approach growth as an opportunity for empathy.
Learn what they're aiming for...then if need be, you can tell them that they aren't working enough hours.