I love my toddler son, but he has a lot to learn. I love Wall Street too, but it also has a lot to learn. This analogy occurred to me while dealing with one of my son’s tantrums – our venerable icon of American capitalism often behaves like our toddlers. Some examples:

I want candy!

It did not matter to my son that, in the shopping cart were three new toys and an ice cream cake. No, he saw candy at the checkout and he wanted it now. It does not matter to Wall Street what you did last quarter, year or decade. Nor does it matter what you are developing for next quarter, year or decade. This quarter’s results are often all that matters.

I don’t want to go to bed!

His bad attitude, tears and stomping all pointed to one thing – my toddler needed rest. Regardless, he resisted any attempt to go to bed. Wall Street also may not care what storm you just weathered or economic condition you’re battling. The thought of a rebuilding period or reinvesting in the employee corps to prepare for the next storm is unacceptable.

I don’t like you Daddy. I want Mommy!

If I tell my toddler something he doesn’t like, there is no hesitation – he’s off to his mother. Wall Street doesn’t flinch either. When one corporation has bad news, there is a migration of investors to the competition. Although, the competition only wins until they too have a bad quarter.

I want to watch TV!

At the tender age of 3, children don’t want to work for their entertainment. Toddlers today have learned there is free entertainment streaming from the idiot box. Similarly, Wall Street loves being entertained. Investment cash often follows entertainment news.

Critics will point out that investors deserve a return on their investment. They’ll highlight that without such reaction to poor results, the markets would fail. I agree. My concern is not for a lack of consequences, but in support of a greater emphasis on long-term results. For, just as my toddler does not think of the future or consequences of his actions, Wall Street also fails to invest for the long haul.

Because I love my son, I continue to teach him right from wrong. I will do what he needs and what is right for him and our family. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy to do this for Wall Street. To be certain, I am generalizing. There are many brilliant, caring investors who seek out socially responsible organizations and invest for sustainability. Yet, I fear these individuals are increasingly the minority. I pray this changes and believe if anyone can be successful in driving such a swing, it will be our servant leaders. In the meantime, I hope Wall Street matures beyond the toddler age.

Question: Do you believe Wall Street acts like a toddler? Why or why not?

If you ask any CEO, ‘Would you like employees who are creative, refreshed and energetic?’, I can’t imagine a single one would answer, ‘no’. Yet, how do you expect to have this, when you only offer 2 weeks of vacation a year and a handful of holidays? This (paraphrased) commentary was offered in a CNN segment reflecting on America’s fledgling vacation policies. So how does America compare to other countries when it comes to vacation time?

America vs. Other Country Vacation Standards

America trails other countries when it comes to vacation. The facts speak for themselves (source, CNN.com):

• Only 57% of U.S. employees use their entire allotted vacation time (Reuters/Ipsos)
• U.S. Employers are not obligated under any federal law to provide paid vacations
• More than 2 dozen industrialized countries require employers to offer 4 or more weeks of vacation. (2009, Mercer)
• Finland, Brazil and France guarantee employees 6 weeks of vacation
• Approximately 25% of U.S. workers do not have access to any paid vacation

Not only does America offer less than most other industrialized nations when it comes to paid vacation time, but we don’t even take what we are offered. It seems we think working harder and resting less is required to get ahead. Yet, the evidence is to the contrary.

In the World Economic Forum’s 2010-2011 rankings of the most competitive economies, the United States placed fourth. In contrast, Sweden, which legally obligates employees receive five weeks of paid vacation, placed second. Strange, I thought we worked so hard to get ahead?

Enjoy What You Have

Unless you want to move to a country with more ideal vacation regulations, chances are you’re not going to see a substantial leap in paid time off. I’m not even sure that is the solution. However, I do believe creativity, sufficient leisure, and the energy to be successful require more than hard work. I recommend a better work-life-alignment, understanding the true perceptions around vacation and maximizing your paid time off.

Work-Life-Alignment: Too many people seek a work-life balance. As I wrote in 5 Tips for Work-Life-Alignment, Not Balance, this is a mistake. You’re not likely to ever find a true balance. Instead, seek work you enjoy – what is your passion? What is your calling? Answer these questions and you can be equally happy and comfortable at work, home or wherever you roam.

True Perceptions: It seems many Americans and workaholics in general fear a perception that if they take too much vacation, their employers will perceive them as lazy. However, one of the best (and most successful) bosses I ever had always used his entire vacation time every year, without fail. It was simply understood – nobody questioned it. Do you ever really question your peer’s time off? Guess what? I doubt they will question yours either.

Maximize Your Time Off: Use it, don’t lose it. You are far more useful to your employer and colleagues when you are energized, refreshed and creative. If you know it will help these factors, you’re only hurting them and yourself by failing to take maximize your rest and relaxation.

The next time you find yourself hesitating to take a vacation, consider these factors. Then, go ahead and book that time away from the office. I bet you will not be the only person who is glad you did.

Question: Do you take your full vacation every year? How do you make the best use of paid time off and how does it help you and your organization?

Note: This post is the first in a series of Servant Leadership Lessons from the Chick-Fil-A Leadercast 2010.

At the Chick-Fil-A Leadercast, Connie Podesta focused on connecting our personal and professional lives. She also covered a range of topics including some humor (and interesting facts) surrounding the common differences between male and female communication styles. However, the servant leadership themes I took away from Connie included: leaders should align work and personal lives and they must remember that everyone is always leading by example (my words, not hers). As leaders serving your organization, aligning your personal lives with work lives and not attempting to balance the two, is something I wrote about here. It’s also critical for the serving leader to remember they are always on stage – setting the example for others, as their teams are for peers. Below are some highlights from her talk, aligned to these themes:

Work / Life Alignment, Not Balance

• “There is no separating your personal and professional life”
• Leadership is a 24×7 job
• When consulting, clients often suggest there is not enough time to address the employee’s personal lives and interests, but she finds that is the most important part and necessary.
• “When it comes to material possessions we need to focus more on what we need and not so much on what we want.”
• If you think you need your job, you’ll never be happy at work.

Everyone Is Always Leading, By Example

• You’re on stage every single day of your life
• Your kids, clients, family, employees, church congregation, etc. are all in the audience – they are watching you and trying to decide how you are going to influence them
• “There’s not a human being in your life you can make happy”
• Leadership has changed from 20 years ago, employees and children have not.
  • Employees and children have always looked to leaders and parents, taking their cues for how to behave from them
  • “Character is defined not by how you are when life is going good… Leadership comes out when your life is so far from what you had planned, that you can barely breathe.”

Before leaving, she asked the audience if they are happy with the personal choices they’ve made. Then, are they happy with the professional choices they’ve made. She let it hang there, before exiting.

More From Connie Podesta

Website: http://www.conniepodesta.com/
Latest Book: How to Be the Person Successful Companies Fight to Keep
Free Downloads:

• Change Habits PDF
• Be #1 In Leadership PDF

Do you go home every work night feeling drained, with no energy left for your family, friends and other personal activities? While this is normal on occasion, it should not be the norm. Too many people believe the solution is work/life balance. Yet have you ever met someone that has found the perfect balance where work never comes up at home and home life never comes up at work? In contrast, many people have found the perfect work/life alignment. Work/life alignment occurs when one is equally comfortable at work and outside the office, handling both personal and professional activities in either environment. It’s amazing how much more energy and enjoyment one finds when they stop trying to balance their work and personal life and focus instead on aligning the two.

Below are 5 tips that help me achieve greater alignment:

1. Be Yourself at Work
2. Work for a Mission You Believe In
3. Prioritize Your Work
4. Find a Boss You Trust
5. Establish Friendships at Work

1. Be Yourself at Work
Are you putting on a different face when you go to work? The business term is a lack of diversity or individual acceptance. We’re not talking just about skin color, religious beliefs or personal lifestyle. Instead, we’re talking about who you are at the core. You could be in a room full of people that look like you, have similar philosophies and even follow the same interests outside of work. However, you could be miles apart in your personalities. You may be a boisterous, outgoing individual, who likes to tell it like it is. Meanwhile, your coworkers may discourage this in preference of a calm demeanor, a quiet office or a more formalized interaction. Neither approach is right or wrong, just different. One may be more appropriate than another for certain companies. Regardless, you need to find the environment where you can be yourself to be happiest. Personality tests, like the Myers Briggs Personality Type Indicator can help you better identify and align your personality with others.

Howard Behar, former president of Starbucks Coffee International wrote about a similar challenge early in his career. After a big promotion, the CEO of the furniture company where he worked pulled him aside and told him how, now that he was an executive, he needed to stop wearing his heart on the sleeve so much. Behar was crushed as he tried to contain his attitude, bottling up his personality and forcing himself to act like someone he was not. He was uncomfortable and unhappy every day. In the end, Behar left that company and joined Starbucks, where he helped the company become an amazing success – all while being himself and wearing his heart on the sleeve. Two for-profit companies, one allowed him to be himself, resulting in remarkable success for both Behar and the company. The other company you’ve likely never heard of before.

2. Work for a Mission You Believe In
Where you work does not have to be an altruistic non-profit, but it needs to have a mission in which you believe. Do you work for a company that makes clothes, or a company that improves people’s lives, by providing the fashions that make them look good, feel more confident and be more comfortable? Does your company have moral and ethical standards that align with your own? Even if the company does not produce products you use or fully comprehend, it may have a mission to support non-profits, benefit the community in which it is located or otherwise provide some greater good to the world through a mission you can believe in. If it does not, how can you justify the effort you put into that company? And if you can’t reasonably justify your work for some greater good than your financial income, you’ll always feel like you’re spending too much time at the office.

Now, if you can’t find a mission at your company you believe in, must you leave that company? Perhaps, but not necessarily. First, try creating that mission. Perhaps organize the next community support event or non-profit fund raising campaign. Whatever your passion, chances are there is some way you can create a mission within or closely aligned to your company. If not, then yes, maybe it is time to find another employer with a mission that moves you.

3. Prioritize Your Work
All too often we believe that to be successful, one must do everything that is asked of them, as quickly as possible. We believe working 60 hours a week, month after month after month assures recognition and success. However, that is often not the case. How many people do you know that work ridiculous hours and ultimately achieved more senior levels? The reality is that the work horse in the room is often appreciated, but rarely promoted. The greatest leaders tend to be those that know how to prioritize. They do not say “no”, but simply, “not now”. Successful alignment means recognizing that many ideas have great merit and value, but only those with the greatest value should be prioritized against finite resources.

Look at your favorite leaders and mentors, for example. Most successful leaders are not running around in a hectic pace or seemingly under a great deal of stress to address everything possible. Instead, the leaders most people would like to emulate seem calm, cool and collected. These leaders have enough time to do what is right – what they prioritize as most important, now. These are the leaders that have their work and personal life aligned, in part, because they know how to prioritize at the office.

4. Find a Boss You Trust
When you work for someone you respect, both parties benefit. When you are encouraged by a superior and believe they want to help your career, you want to do the same for them. In such a scenario, you will find a way to achieve what your supervisor needs you to get done and often, more. The inverse is also true. When you do not trust your boss or believe they only seek their own success over the team’s, you will have little motivation. People with bad bosses find the quickest way, to the easiest solution, to provide just barely what their boss needs. Nobody’s going above and beyond for a boss they do not trust.

The book Five Dysfunctions of a Team (on the recommended reading list) explains how trust is at the heart of every team. Without trust, there will be an inattention to results, a fear of conflict, lack of commitment and an avoidance of accountability. Therefore, without trust, there will be little professional success, without success, limited professional fulfillment and your personal life suffers.

5. Establish Friendships at Work
In the last post, I mentioned the Gallup Poll that highlighted the importance of employees having friends at work. This study shows the benefits to the business, such as greater morale, higher levels of quality and strong alignment to the company’s mission (for more, see the links above). In addition to the benefits to the employer, there are strong benefits to the employees. Friends at work also provide a support network when one needs to blow off a little steam or has a personal emergency. The friend network improves an employee’s ability to feel comfortable at the office and strengthens their feeling of belonging. When a team member has friends around them, the office can shift from just work to a place where they see friends while accomplishing tasks.

Try this for yourself. If you already have friends at work, great – imagine what it would be like without them. Where would you turn to relax and how comfortable would you feel? If you do not have friends at work, try harder. You’ll be amazed how anxious some people may be to get to know you on a more personal basis. If you are really not comfortable making friends at work directly, try to at least find some manner of friendship aligned with your work, such as in a professional network.

Too many people today still try to balance separate lives. “Try” is the key word here. Like a teeter-totter, you can not stay perfectly balanced all the time. However, if you seek alignment rather than balance, you find greater, more sustainable results. When you are aligned, you are equally happy addressing personal life at the office and professional matters at home, as necessary. While there will always be a primary focus on one or the other, both will offer equal comfort, confidence and success in any environment. When this occurs, you know you have work-life alignment and not just a balancing act.