The newly elected leader recently revealed that for years he has been “protecting” that time to spend with his family, including his 16-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter — and has no intention of giving up the habit because, in his eyes, he is a better politician because of it.
“I don’t believe in the theory that you’re a better decision maker if you don’t allow yourself the space to be a parent and enjoy your time with your children,” the Labour leader said. Virgin Radio last week.
“It actually helps me. It takes the pressure off, it relaxes me, and I think that’s not only what I want to do as a father, but it’s also better.”
“In politics, some people think that if you fill up your diary 24/7 and do nothing else, that makes you a much better decision maker,” the 61-year-old prosecutor-turned-politician added. “I don’t agree with that. I think you have to make room.”
Following this, the opposition party described Starmer as a “part-time prime minister”. On social media.
Meanwhile, his predecessor Rishi Sunak – who is richer than the King of England and was prime minister from 2022 until losing last week’s election – quipped: “I never finished sixth form.”
Downing Street refused Wealth Request comment.
Work-life balance in leadership is rare.
Nobody likes working long evenings or weekends. The only problem? As Sunak (and many other CEOs who have appeared in luck) He pointed out that, Being a leader is not a normal 9-5 job.
Doug Bird, CEO of human resources consulting firm New Street Consulting Group, says: luck The pace of the world has certainly changed dramatically, and leaders must always be on their toes if they want to keep up with today’s high standards.
He added: “It is interesting that Sir Keir Starmer has a target of not working after 6pm on Friday, but the leadership does not. I suspect most business leaders would laugh a little at this ridiculous and unrealistic deadline they have set themselves.”
“Would the phone be open if a world leader called?”
But realistically, there’s a big difference between being available and being at work.
“I don’t expect him to put his leave out of the office,” says Louis Malet, CEO of global executive recruitment agency Bentley Lewis, adding that leaders need to strike a balance between staying on and off for the health of themselves and the health of the business — or in this case, the country.
“I think it’s important for leaders to protect their energy and manage their time the right way,” he adds. “The road is long and the CEO job is all about it. If you don’t take care of yourself, how can you take care of anyone else?”
A burned out leader is no good for anyone.
Job burnout is a modern business epidemic.
While younger workers struggle more than others with their mental health at work, managers are no strangers to feeling burned out.
Barnaby Lashbrook, CEO of virtual assistant company Time Etc., says: luck He “unapologetically” leaves work on Fridays after working 35 hours (with regular breaks) because working 100-hour weeks when he founded the company was taking a toll on his physical and mental health.
“If you can’t time it, you can’t expect to function optimally in the long run,” he says from experience. “While a prime minister is always technically ready, a tired leader simply won’t have the capacity to make good decisions.”
The entire workforce benefits from the ripple effect of having a leader who prioritizes work-life balance, which is why so many CEOs and leadership experts tell us: luck Starmer’s stance on 24/7 working is a good example of healthy working standards.
“We’re all used to seeing leaders who wake up by 4 a.m., then hit the gym for an intense workout, before doing two hours of work before 7 a.m.,” says Amrit Sandhar, CEO and founder of employee engagement company, &Evolve. “They don’t seem to have a switch off, working late into the night and on weekends.”
Sandhar points out that Starmer’s indication that he will take dedicated time off from work shows that he has the emotional intelligence to understand that how he works dictates how others work.
“When leaders take time away from work to be with their families, it’s a message to everyone to be the best you can be at work, and when you leave work, focus on those aspects of your life that really matter.”