{"id":2258,"date":"2024-12-04T16:52:59","date_gmt":"2024-12-04T16:52:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cmjstrategies.com\/website_9e304ce3\/?p=2258"},"modified":"2025-05-28T13:51:09","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T13:51:09","slug":"what-do-they-want-from-my-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cmjstrategies.com\/es\/what-do-they-want-from-my-life\/","title":{"rendered":"What do they want from my life?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWe couldn\u2019t believe you stood up in front of the whole group and told that story.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gulp. \u201cWhat story?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat story about how you got up and left the meeting with the Secretary of State\u2026 when you said you had to leave because you had to pick up your son from childcare\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUh, that? What\u2019s so shocking about that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe couldn\u2019t believe that it might be OK to do that. It was so inspiring.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was taken aback. Why was that such a big deal? What else was I supposed to do? Leave my eleven-month-old in the arms of his childminder for an hour after pick-up time? However wonderful she was \u2013 and she was, and is, wonderful, believe me \u2013 I couldn\u2019t do that. So I had to leave. I had to politely say that others could answer the Minister\u2019s questions and could update me later on what was decided. It was the Department for Education after all \u2013 responsible for childcare policy across England and champion of supporting parents to get back to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yet, the fact this happened, and the fact that I shared the story from a podium with my Directorate of 150 people, was somehow shocking. Oh, and inspiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was 10 years ago and I realise now that the reason I was surprised by this comment is because I took so much for granted. I had the bosses, structures and an organisational culture that supported me to work four days a week and to not even think twice about asking for flexibility. I guess I had also learned the hard way – long before my children had appeared on the scene – that I wasn\u2019t indispensable and that working in a way that implies you are, is a recipe for disaster (and burnout). Having worked in, and with, many organisations in other countries and other sectors since then I see now how lucky I was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most important things we need to do as leaders starting new and bigger roles is work out what our boundaries are. Even if you\u2019ve managed to maintain a good work\/life balance (or blend) before \u2013 and that\u2019s a big if given how hard you\u2019ve worked to get this promotion in the first place \u2013 it\u2019s different now. The scope, responsibility, complexity and uncertainty are all greater and more often than not it feels like that just demands more of your time and energy than ever before. And your impact as a role model \u2013 good and bad \u2013 is even greater too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what are the secrets?<\/p>\n\n\n\n