Creating an environment where employees can be motivated means that balance must exist. Managers need to be aware of a key concept; employees aren’t influenced as much by what a manager says as by what a manager does. So managers need to model the behaviors of balance. Here are some tips on modeling the concept of balance:

•   Work hard, but have fun. It is okay to work hard, but it is not okay to not have fun. Fun is the great balancer in the world of work, and can do a great deal to relieve stress. Managers should be willing to have fun at meetings and while completing the daily tasks in the work place.

•   Take time off. Managers should be willing to take time off. If managers take time off, they will be better managers and will send a message to the team that it is okay.

•   Go home early every now and then. It sends a good message to the team for the leader to go home early every now and then.

•   Go on vacation. It is crucial for managers to take vacation and to truly go on vacation. That means no voice mail, e-mail, or conference calls.

•   Be balanced. Managers should strive to represent and model the concept of balance. They should be taking care of themselves physically and emotionally.

I once had a very good friend named Jim. Jim and I spent a lot of time together socially, and we had a real good time. I was always worried about Jim, and I told him so; he had the worst lifestyle I had ever seen. He worked two jobs (between 80 and 90 hours a week) and never exercised, never ate right, and carried a high level of stress. We always warned Jim that he needed to get his life in balance, but he didn’t listen. At some point, he moved to a different part of the country, and we lost touch. Ten years later, I decided to call him. When I asked how he was, the lack of balance had finally caught up with him. He had suffered a major heart attack and had to quit working for good. He had to go on disability and was divorced. He barely spoke to his children, who were now grown. He couldn’t afford to have his own place, so he was living with another family. This is a sad but true story of what happens as a result of lack of balance.

Managers must take care not to fall in to that trap and must make sure that they coach their teams not to fall in to that trap as well. Leaders don’t just affect the professional life of an employee; they also have the remarkable ability and responsibility to have a life-long personal impact.