The leader’s ultimate responsibility is simple: send people home whole. Not drained, belittled, or broken - but physically and mentally intact.
Yes, results matter. Budgets must be met, projects executed, stakeholders reassured. Titles and compensation come with that expectation baked in. But beneath every KPI sits a human being who must walk out with dignity, energy, and self-respect.
Beyond KPIs - the real job of leadership
Sitting in the top seat is no small feat. Most executives wrestle daily with:
- Endless prioritisation under scarce resources
- Driving change while deciding with incomplete information
- Delivering honest feedback, including terminations
- Recruiting and motivating high performers
- Acting as de-facto counsellor when needed
These are not “soft” challenges. They are existential to performance. And above the imperative to deliver outcomes sits a higher duty: life is bigger than work.
Leaders who default to “if you don’t like it, there’s the door” may extract compliance today, but they sow long-term failure. Toxic pressure corrodes trust, engagement, and eventually results.
When overwork becomes the norm
Many leaders admit their teams have been operating “in the red” for years. Contracted hours are a fiction; overtime is the default. Work bleeds into late nights and weekends. This isn’t commitment. It’s a system failure.
Sustained overwork erodes decision quality, raises error rates, and drives out talent. Leaders who tolerate it aren’t being tough; they’re being negligent.
A short scenario
Daniel, a VP in infrastructure, prided himself on being “always on.” Emails at 22:30, Saturday approvals, Sunday pre-reads. His team matched his pace - until quality slipped, rework spiked, and two rising stars left. Daniel drew a line: no late-night emails, tighter roles, ruthless meeting hygiene. Within six weeks, error rates fell and morale recovered. The work stayed hard - but now it was sustainable.
Six practical ways to lead differently
Changing an overwork culture isn’t one grand gesture. It’s visible, disciplined moves that compound. In my coaching work - including the Lead Without Hesitation - these six often create the fastest shift:
1. Make boundaries explicit and model them
Teams won’t respect boundaries the leader ignores. If you send emails at 22:00 or sigh when people leave at 17:00, you normalise 24/7 availability. Show the reality you want to create.
2. Clarify roles and accountability
Much overload comes from fuzziness. Use a simple RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) to specify who truly owns what - and who just needs to be informed.
3. Fix meeting hygiene
Meetings are a hidden tax. Ask: do they need to decide, contribute, or merely be aware? If it’s awareness, send a memo. If their part is ten minutes, invite them for ten.
4. Put priorities on a diet
Everything can’t be urgent. Identify the critical few and let the rest wait. Clarity reduces overtime more than heroics.
5. Take regular temperature checks
Every couple of months, run a mini-retro. Where are stress peaks? What wastes time? What can be simplified or automated? This shows you care and legitimises, “This isn’t sustainable.”
6. Signal change through small wins
Big ships turn gradually. Cancel one recurring meeting. Stop late-night emails. Give one person a clearer remit. Each small shift signals: the norm is changing.
Leadership is a human obligation
Overwork, disrespect, and belittling behaviour aren’t “hard-nosed leadership.” They’re breaches of duty. Every person deserves to end the workday with health, confidence, and humanity intact. We all have loved ones waiting at home. That is the leader’s ultimate responsibility.
How are you approaching workload and boundary-setting in your team? What tactics have helped you shift the culture? Share your experience - other leaders are looking for models that work.
Raido Kivikangur is an Executive Clarity Coach and former CTO (€3B+ infrastructure programs). He helps tech and infrastructure leaders cut through decision fatigue and lead with calm authority.
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