CEO Says Needing Work-Life Balance Means You’re Not In The Right Job
Isn't work-life balance the whole point of, well, life?
Andrey_Popov | Shutterstock Work-life balance is a highly sought-after trait for most job seekers nowadays, especially as Gen Z joins the workforce and brings their revolutionary attitudes about work with them. It’s a tricky subject, though. Some of the most successful people in the world believe that work-life balance is a myth or impossible to achieve.
One CEO suggested that a desire for work-life balance is actually a sign that you aren’t doing the right kind of work. For her, working endless hours is simply an indicator that you're passionate about your work and love your job.
A technology CEO argued that needing work-life balance means you're not in the right job.
Lucy Guo, the co-founder of Scale AI and current CEO of Passes, is the world’s "youngest self-made woman," according to Fortune associate editor Orianna Rosa Royle. Although she is only 30, she does not share other young workers’ affinity for work-life balance.
Guo told Royle, "I probably don’t have work-life balance. For me, work doesn’t really feel like work. I love doing my job. I would say that if you feel the need for work-life balance, maybe you’re not in the right work."
Guo explained that she typically works 90 hours a week, with her day starting at 5:30 a.m. when she squeezes in a few workout classes. She begins work around 9:00 a.m. and is usually in the office until midnight.
Despite the seeming impossibility of it all, Guo insisted she still makes time for her family and friends, although it’s unclear how, as she can't possibly be getting more than five and a half hours of sleep a night. "You should always find time for that, regardless of how busy you are," she said.
Guo believes that if you are in the right field and doing the right job for you, you simply won’t feel a need for work-life balance. Instead, you’ll love the work you do so much that you’ll want to do it all the time.
Zoom’s CEO has a similar philosophy.
Writing for VNExpress International, Phong Ngo reported that Eric Yuan, the CEO of technology giant and work-from-home amenity Zoom, had something similar to say in a recent podcast appearance. Yuan, whose net worth is believed to be around $4.6 billion, shared his intense work ethic with the Grit podcast.
"I tell our team, 'Guys, you know, there’s no way to balance. Work is life, life is work,'" he stated. Despite this tough stance on work being the most important thing in his employees' lives, he also said, “Whenever there’s a conflict, guess what? Family first. That’s it.”
Guo and Yuan clearly hold similar beliefs that if you love your work, you will prioritize it. However, that doesn’t mean you should neglect your loved ones or your own well-being.
Despite these successful CEO’s takes on work-life balance, experts say it is incredibly important.
It’s hard to remember how essential work-life balance is when people with so much success and, for that matter, money, profess to have no balance at all. However, Abbey Sangmeister, MSEd, LPC, ACS, pointed out that a healthy balance is vital. Without it, your work, health, and relationships suffer.
Mikael Blomkvist | Pexels
"Work-life balance is the concept that you effectively manage your professional life and responsibilities so that you are productive and successful at work while ensuring you have plenty of dedicated time to live a fulfilling, grounded, personal life,” she said.
As most people desire a fulfilling personal life, it's perhaps not surprising that these CEO's opinions are the minority. Recruiting company Randstad recently surveyed 26,000 workers, and 83% said that work-life balance was the most important quality a job could have. Not everyone agrees with Guo and Yuan’s thoughts, and the average person values work-life balance more than a high salary and fancy job title.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
