5 Reasons Why Respecting Boundaries Makes Leaders More Successful

Read time: 6 minutes

Hey internet friends.

Last week, we explored the power of authenticity in personal and professional life.

​You can read that (and all past issues, here).

Today, we're diving into a crucial aspect of leadership that often gets overlooked: respecting your team's time and personal boundaries.

I recently shared an image on LinkedIn that sparked quite a discussion:

Let's unpack why this matters and how it can make you a more effective leader.

The Boundary Paradox

Many leaders fall into the trap of thinking that more hours equal more productivity. But here's the paradox: respecting boundaries often leads to better results. Here's why:

Listen More Than You Speak

• Work-Life Balance Boosts Productivity When employees have time to recharge, they bring more energy and focus to their work.
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• Boundaries Foster Loyalty Respecting personal time builds trust and commitment, reducing turnover.
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• Creativity Needs Space Time away from work allows for mental reset, leading to more innovative thinking.
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• Burnout is Bad for Business Constant work without breaks leads to decreased productivity and increased errors.
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• Retention of Top Talent Companies known for respecting boundaries attract and keep the best people.

Implementing Boundary-Respecting Leadership

• Lead by Example Take your own breaks and vacations. Show that it's not just allowed, but encouraged.
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• Clear Communication Set expectations about after-hours communication and respect for personal time.
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• Focus on Outcomes, Not Hours Judge performance based on results, not time spent at the desk.
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• Encourage Time Off Actively encourage the use of vacation days and personal time.
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• Create a Culture of Trust Build an environment where people feel secure taking time for themselves.

Remember, your team agreed to a job in exchange for pay and benefits. They didn't sign up to sell their soul and every moment of their personal time. By respecting these boundaries, you're not just being a good person – you're being a smart leader. You're creating an environment where people want to stay and do their best work.

The Long-Term View

In the short term, it might seem like you're getting more out of your team by stretching their time and availability. But in the long run, this approach is unsustainable and counterproductive. True leadership is about building a team that's not just productive today, but sustainable and growing for years to come.

By respecting boundaries, you're investing in your team's wellbeing, your company's culture, and ultimately, your long-term success. It's not just about what you can get from your employees – it's about creating an environment where everyone, including you, can thrive.

To your team's success and your leadership growth,

Dan

P.S. If this resonated with you, share it with a fellow leader. Sometimes, the most valuable thing we can do is remind each other of the fundamentals of great leadership.

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SOS (Science of Success) Curated:

LinkedIn of the week: The Science Behind Peak Performance​

Podcast of the week: The Science Of Building EXTREME Discipline​

My Tweet of the week: 20 Skills That Will Pay You Forever​

The Hidden Cost of Always-On Culture

A study published in the Academy of Management Journal found that employees who were expected to be available outside of work hours experienced higher levels of anxiety, which in turn led to poor sleep quality and decreased job performance.

What's particularly interesting is that this effect was observed even when employees weren't actually engaging in work activities during off-hours. The mere expectation of availability was enough to trigger stress responses.

This research underscores the importance of clear boundaries between work and personal time. It suggests that leaders who protect their team's off-hours aren't just being considerate – they're actively contributing to better job performance and employee wellbeing.

9 years ago Tom Beahon went on a mission to build britains biggest sportswear brand and compete with the likes of Nike and Adidas to end their dominance in the world of sports sponsorships.

Fast forward to today and Tom sits down with us to reflect on what has been a pretty successful journey where he has signed with some of the most established teams and brands in the world to help him build a billion dollar company in Castore.

He also reveals how he persuaded one of Britain’s biggest sports stars, Andy Murray, to sign with Castore, at a time when Murray had his pick of some of biggest brands in the world, it was a deal that proved to be transformative for the company.

This episode delivers powerful lessons on what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur, demonstrating that there’s an opportunity in everything if you’re willing to put in the hard work to make it happen.
​Listen in to learn and develop your thinking...​

Until next week - smash your success,

Dan

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1-1 Coaching with Dan

In my goal to help more entrepreneurs/people who are looking to level up their careers, I've just started taking 1-1 consulting calls (only 1 a week)

Why book a call? Some of my expertise/success:

I've built 5 startups. 1 win, 1 fail, and 3 still going.

E Commerce: Heights — with revenue over $20M a year.

Community: Foundrs, one of the UK's top founder communities

Podcasting: Leaders Media - bootstrapped media company that makes the UK's top business podcast Secret Leaders, with over 50M downloads.

Health/Mental Health: Managed to overcome burnout, insomnia, depression & anxiety in pursuit of success as I talk about in my interview with Steven Bartlett on Diary of a CEO​

Angel Investing: I've invested in over 86 startups

Coached & Mentored: Certified coach & done lots of mentoring

Personal Brand: Have grown to 100k on LinkedIn and X (Twitter) in the past 12 months

So if you're interested in booking a session with me to talk all things business or building a personal brand, book for 30-minutes or 45-minutes. (limited spots).

Science of Success Vault

I'm building a vault of valuable tools, resources, and one sheets that I hope help you succeed.

These will be stored in the ever-growing 'Science of Success' vault — you can always access that here

Want to take your success (even more) seriously? 👇​
🧠 Fuel your brain and feed your gut, try Heights here (use code 'SOSDMS' for 15% off your first month of any subscription

🎧 Check out my podcast Secret Leaders here​

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