Do The Best Managers Really Work Less?
The concept of a 4-hour work week is certainly appealing, especially to those here in the USA who, on average, work more hours than those in any other industrialized nation.
But Archimedes wasn’t working when he figured out how to calculate the volume of an irregularly shaped gold nugget. He was supposedly lounging in the bathtub. That paints an alluring image. Just relax in your Jacuzzi and you’ll become a more successful and innovative manager.
But research reveals that the 4-hour approach is not advantageous or conducive for creative tasks that rely on managerial brainpower and innovative thinking. You have to first invest a sufficient amount of time on task. Otherwise your brain will not feel the urgency to work overtime on a solution while you are on the golf course or in the shower. Unless and until you put in the time, in other words, neither will your neurological pathways.
A 4-hour week may be appropriate for certain repetitive tasks. Think 60-minute yoga classes, for example, that produce great results on an every-other-day schedule. But not so for creative or tasks.
The best managers leverage their efforts to get more done through others. Only then can they enjoy the necessity of more time to enjoy the leadership aspects of their responsibilities, such as dreaming up new creative and strategic solutions. People who work in think tanks, for instance, are much more likely to come up with the answers they seek if they do not have to first accomplish time-consuming tasks that distract from mental focus.
They may not necessarily arrive at the solution while on task or in the office, mind you. Perhaps it will come to them while strolling along the beach or doing a sun salutation.
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