Hard choices
When Hamish McLennan former CEO of Young & Rubicam an advertising firm in the US announced early this year that he will be stepping down, the news was received with mixed reactions. An accomplished executive who was at the top of his game had to make a choice between fatherhood and career.
Just like many executives in the job market today, the choice is usually among the hardest to make. “I’m ambitious: I’ve spent 25 years being a race-horse. You strive to get to the top of your game, and you enjoy it – but it can become all-consuming. The reality is that you can’t have a global role and spend much time with your kids,” says Hamish. He continues to say “It’s hard for anyone in an executive role to strike a balance because one has a constant tension between wanting to excel at work and wanting to bring up a great family.” My daughter is 13 and my son is 11, I don’t want them to leave home and say, ”well, you had a great career, but we don’t know you.”
At 44, Hamish says that he would rather be known as a good father than a good CEO. How much value and importance do you give your career at the expense of your family? For better, optimal and maximum productivity at the work place one has to ensure that the family is first before the job. By this one will stop being worried about issues that he/she faces after the time spent on that career. The family as an institution is so important that person is given a one-off chance to manage. We should aspire to raise better and functional families that in broader sense reflects and impacts in our functionality in the society.
The many things that we complain about our society stems from the families we come from. If we had the best family management then definitely our society would be a better place to live. Love shall abound more between groups of people and the vices in the society like crime could be tamed or averted. Great value should be put in development of functional families and parents should understand they got a deliberate role and responsibility of parenting.
Key lesson that we can learn from Hamish is that we shouldn’t let our job define us.
Just like many executives in the job market today, the choice is usually among the hardest to make. “I’m ambitious: I’ve spent 25 years being a race-horse. You strive to get to the top of your game, and you enjoy it – but it can become all-consuming. The reality is that you can’t have a global role and spend much time with your kids,” says Hamish. He continues to say “It’s hard for anyone in an executive role to strike a balance because one has a constant tension between wanting to excel at work and wanting to bring up a great family.” My daughter is 13 and my son is 11, I don’t want them to leave home and say, ”well, you had a great career, but we don’t know you.”
At 44, Hamish says that he would rather be known as a good father than a good CEO. How much value and importance do you give your career at the expense of your family? For better, optimal and maximum productivity at the work place one has to ensure that the family is first before the job. By this one will stop being worried about issues that he/she faces after the time spent on that career. The family as an institution is so important that person is given a one-off chance to manage. We should aspire to raise better and functional families that in broader sense reflects and impacts in our functionality in the society.
The many things that we complain about our society stems from the families we come from. If we had the best family management then definitely our society would be a better place to live. Love shall abound more between groups of people and the vices in the society like crime could be tamed or averted. Great value should be put in development of functional families and parents should understand they got a deliberate role and responsibility of parenting.
Key lesson that we can learn from Hamish is that we shouldn’t let our job define us.
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