Morally corrupt not to work to death? In this episode Judith Germain speaks to Caroline Dowd-Higgins about striking a balance between professional success and life fulfillment.
Key Takeaways
- The “busy brag” of celebrating being overworked and exhausted is prevalent and unhealthy
- 80% of the world is currently experiencing burnout, which is alarming
- We need to shift organisational cultures to better support employee well-being
- Achievement Intelligence should complement AI to optimise humans supported by technology
- Focus on “eulogy virtues” not just “resume virtues” to live a more balanced, fulfilled life
- Entrepreneurs and employees need different strategies to find balance
- Asynchronous communication and flexible schedules can help provide more balance
Topics:
The “busy brag” culture and widespread burnout
- Caroline shared that celebrating being overworked and exhausted has become a “badge of honor” in many cultures
- But this “busy brag” is unhealthy – 80% of the world is currently experiencing burnout
- Organisations need to shift cultures to better support employee well-being and work-life balance
Achievement Intelligence and human-centric AI
- Caroline suggested a concept called “Achievement Intelligence” to complement AI
- This ensures technology optimises humans, not just efficiency
- Without this lens, AI could enable more work intensity and burnout
Focusing on “eulogy virtues”
- Caroline recommended focusing on your ideal “eulogy virtues” not just “resume virtues”
- This means living a balanced life aligned with your values, not just professional accomplishments
Strategies for entrepreneurs vs employees
- Employees can more easily disconnect, but entrepreneurs’ income depends on their work
- Entrepreneurs should still find moments for self-care and play
- But it can be a rollercoaster, so they should plan for ups and downs
Asynchronous communication and flexible schedules
- Judith and Caroline agreed asynchronous communication can be better than live meetings
- Flexible schedules aligned to individuals’ productive times also enable more balance
In this conversation they discuss small steps that can be taken to improve a work life balance and the need for achievement intelligence.
Caroline Dowd-Higgins is a best selling author, a certified executive coach, a speaker and podcast host.
Maverick leadership is all about thinking outside the box and challenging the status quo. It’s about having the courage to take risks and the confidence to lead in a way that is authentic and genuine.
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Caroline Dowd-Higgins can be found on LinkedIn here. Her website is here.
You can listen to Episode 394 on any of the popular podcast platforms or apps (including Spotify, and Audible). If you prefer to listen to your browser you can do that below. Enjoy!
