In the quest for effective leadership, managers must strike a delicate balance between work and home life. According to recent research from the University of Florida, those who disconnect from their job responsibilities while at home are more likely to feel rejuvenated and demonstrate strong leadership qualities the following day.

In contrast, bosses who obsess over work during their off-hours may struggle to maintain their effectiveness, especially if they lack experience in their roles.

Healthy balance

This underscores the importance of achieving a healthy work-life balance, particularly for those in leadership positions. By prioritizing time away from work, managers can not only recharge their batteries but also better support their employees and drive results in the workplace.

“The simple message of this study is that if you want to be an effective leader at work, leave work at work,” the researchers explain. “This is particularly important for inexperienced leaders, as they seem to benefit the most from recovery experiences when at home. Leaders have challenging jobs as they juggle their own role responsibilities with the needs of their followers, and they need to recover from the demands of the leadership role.”

The research investigated the relationship between managers’ ability to disconnect from work while at home and their leadership effectiveness. The authors surveyed both managers and their employees, assessing the former’s level of energy and self-identification as leaders the following morning after disconnecting from work, and the latter’s ratings of their bosses’ leadership skills in guiding their teams.

Switching off

“What we found is that on nights when leaders were able to completely turn off and not think about work, they were more energized the next day, and they felt better connected to their leadership role at work,” they explain. “On those same days, their followers reported that these leaders were more effective in motivating them and in guiding their work.”

When leaders were unable to disconnect from work, however, it resulted in their energy levels not recovering from the strain of the day before, so they started the new day in a depleted state. This meant they were less effective in their role as a leader.

The researchers hope that their findings will reinforce the importance of switching off after work, even for leaders. They hope that more organizations will encourage and support leaders in doing this.