The president-elect recently revealed that he has “protected” this time for years to spend along with his family, which incorporates his 16-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter. And he has no intention of giving up this habit because, in his eyes, it makes him a greater politician.
“I don’t believe in the theory that you are a better decision-maker if you don’t give yourself the freedom to be a father and have fun with your children,” said the Labour Party leader Virgin Radio last week.
“It actually helps me. It takes the pressure off me, it relaxes me and I think that’s not only what I want to do as a father, it’s even better.”
In politics, “some people believe that if you fill your schedule 24/7 and do nothing else, you’re a much better decision maker,” added the 61-year-old prosecutor-turned-politician. “I don’t agree with that. I think you have to make room.”
In the next period, the opposition party described Starmer as a “part-time prime minister” on social media.
Meanwhile, his predecessor Rishi Sunak – who’s richer than the King of England and was Prime Minister from 2022 until his election defeat last week – scoffed: “I’ve never stopped at six.”
Downing Street refused Fortunes Request for comments.
Work-life balance is rare in management positions
Nobody likes working late into the evening or weekends. The only problem? As Sunak (and plenty of CEOs in Assets) have identified, Being a manager will not be a traditional 9-5 job.
Doug Baird, CEO of executive search firm New Street Consulting Group, says Assets that the pace of the world has modified dramatically and that leaders must not sleep thus far in the event that they wish to sustain with today’s high standards.
“It is interesting that Sir Kier Starmer has set himself the target of not working beyond 6pm on Fridays, but that is not what leadership looks like,” he added. “I suspect most business leaders will chuckle a little at this ambitious and unrealistic self-imposed deadline.”
“Would the answering machine be on if a head of state called?”
But realistically, there’s a giant difference between availability and operational activity.
“I wouldn’t expect him to turn on his out-of-office message,” says Lewis Maleh, CEO of world recruitment agency Bentley Lewis, adding that leaders need to search out a balance between being on call and switching off for the sake of their very own health and that of the corporate – or on this case, the country.
“I think it’s important for leaders to conserve their energy and manage their time properly,” he adds. “The road is long and the CEO position is all-encompassing. If you don’t take care of yourself, how can you take care of others?”
A burned-out leader isn’t any good for anyone
Burnout is the trendy business epidemic.
While young staff struggle probably the most with their mental health within the workplace, the sensation of burnout is nothing recent for managers.
Barnaby Lashbrooke, CEO of virtual assistant company Time Etc, tells Assets that he finishes work on Fridays “without regret” after completing his 35 hours of labor (with regular breaks) because his physical and mental health was severely affected by the 100-hour weeks he needed to work when founding the corporate.
“If you don’t take the time to switch off, you can’t expect to function optimally in the long term,” he says from experience. “While a prime minister is technically always on call, a burned-out head of state is simply not capable of making good decisions.”
The entire workforce advantages from the trickle-down effect of a frontrunner who prioritizes work-life balance. Numerous CEOs and leadership experts said Assets that Starmer’s stance on 24-hour working hours is a superb example of healthy working standards.
“We’re all used to seeing executives waking up at 4 a.m., then hitting the gym for an intense workout, then working a few more hours before 7 a.m.,” says Amrit Sandhar, CEO and founding father of executive search firm &Evolve. “They didn’t seem to have an off switch, as they worked late into the night and on weekends.”
Sandhar says Starmer’s suggestion that he’ll take regular breaks shows that he has the emotional intelligence to grasp that the best way he works dictates the best way others work.
“When leaders take time out to spend time with their families, it sends a message to everyone else to do their best at work and focus on the aspects of their lives that really matter after work.”
