Almost 50 million Americans quit their job last year. As employees defected in droves, some executives wondered what happened to a workforce once eager to climb the corporate ladder and chase a shiny new title at each rung. They pondered: Is this the age of anti-ambition?
The answer? Of course not. “The Great Resignation” doesn’t signal the death of ambition — but if we’re lucky, it does mean the demise of hustle culture. People still want to achieve goals and be challenged, but increasingly, they’ve shifted focus to aspirations that aren’t ready-made for LinkedIn updates. With time at home prompting reflection and no flashy office perks to distract them, it’s no surprise that employees started re-evaluating their professional lives.
Not long ago, I went through a similar journey. I was heads down in work for weeks at a time until I started wondering what I was sacrificing for career success — and why. Last year’s employment exodus has tasked us all with finding better ways to work and achieving not just balance, but fulfillment. As we forge the path forward, I tapped into my own experience to offer some thoughts on creating a healthier work life.
Don’t choose.
Early in my career when I was chasing ad-agency success, I made an agreement with my wife. I would be pedal-to-the-metal at work, putting in the time to move up the ladder quickly while she took the lead on our home life. Too many 90-hour weeks and nights spent at the office later, I moved to Raleigh and realized this was a false choice. I didn’t have to pick between career success or family time. We don’t need to delineate between our jobs and our “real life.” Instead, let’s embrace each as part of the other, and take a day-by-day approach where we accept our different personal and professional traits as percentages that constantly fluctuate.
There are still hustle-culture promoters across industries who advocate for going all in at work, whatever it costs you. My message is two-fold: 1) It’s not worth it and 2) it’s not necessary. My career path is proof that you can achieve professional success without succumbing to an unsustainable daily grind. I’m a CEO and I love my job, but I also love traveling, photography and seeing my family. If your job makes you pick, it’s time to look elsewhere.
Reject hustle culture.
We all see the LinkedIn posts: Someone is bragging about a 12-hour work day, or their soul-sucking path to prosperity that all paid off in the end. For too long we’ve lifted up long hours and years of career tunnel-vision as a professional ideal. Now, more people see this is burnout, not a badge of honor. A more fulfilling approach means following what motivates us to get out of bed in the morning, and realizing that many things we feel as chains are things we can eliminate.
Even when I’m not, I still catch myself wanting to tell others how busy I am. That’s hustle culture at play — a tacit acknowledgment that busyness equates to social value. When we reduce ourselves to our life at work, we lose what sets us apart. I’ve said it before: I don’t care what your job or title is. I care about who you are and what drives you internally. Let’s cultivate business environments where our work life is consistent with who we are as people — and who we want to be.
Take time to reflect.
I’m the CEO of a consulting firm that preaches experimentation and insights-driven decisions. What kind of leader would I be if I didn’t encourage our team to experiment themselves? As humans, we need time to explore new hobbies, activities and side projects. This is how we figure out what we like, and just as importantly, what we don’t. I’d venture to guess many of the 47 million people who resigned last year felt they weren’t getting that time.
When you talk to people, they often know their “dream job,” or what they’re passionate about. So why don’t they do it? We need to give ourselves permission to follow these interests, wherever they lead us. As an executive, I obviously want employees who want to work for our team and enjoy what they do. But I also want a team of people who pursue their other interests and can bring their whole selves to work. If you’re not getting that where you are now, it might be time to re-evaluate.
Question everything.
A few months ago, we had a team lunch in the office. The energy in the room was great, and it was clear everyone enjoyed their job, was aligned with our mission and felt ready to take on the world together. It was one of my favorite moments at Brooks Bell. But in trying to maintain this energy, we have to ask why. It wasn’t the lunch, or everyone in the office — it was a sense of togetherness, a specified time and a set agenda. We fail when we try to create mirror images of successful scenarios instead of focusing on the factors that led to success.
At Brooks Bell, we preach design thinking, particularly the “question everything” principle. I’d invite anyone chasing a VP title — or other traditional markers of career success — to take some time to ask, “Why?” Aiming for these achievements is valid, but it’s important that we have an understanding of not only what we’re looking for, but also the reasons for that goal. We shouldn’t be ashamed of pursuing what’s valuable to us — we just have to know what that is first.
Embrace spontaneity.
Think of the most memorable people you know. A ton of interactions probably come to mind, but they aren’t all the same. That’s because it’s not about what they did, but how they did it. In our work lives, we should embrace the same idea. The best way to avoid monotony is to reject unnecessary routines and lean into exploration. We need routine and structure, but in a thriving workplace, these are the guardrails within which employees have freedom to explore and innovate.
I used to call my dad on my way home from work every day. The last two years, I’ve mixed up this habit, calling him at different times of day. Now, I get to see different sides of him, and we have different conversations. We all fall into routines, but the more we question these and break them when appropriate, the more we allow ourselves to think outside the box and thrive. This is partially why I’ve taken up the “no-meeting” crusade — weekly Monday-morning calls aren’t exactly a catalyst for new ideas. When we have workplaces that give us permission to be spontaneous, we open the door to a fresher, more fulfilling professional life.
It’s now been two years since our work lives turned upside down. But some leaders are still itching to return to some sort of cryonically preserved workplace from early March 2020, completely ignoring two years of lessons and millions of employee resignations. Reverting to old habits isn’t just complacent, it’s harmful — for employees and organizations alike. Despite some executives’ loud LinkedIn declarations, people still want to work. They just don’t want to only work.
If we’ve learned anything during the pandemic, it’s that we have the power to demand more, and we shouldn’t sacrifice fulfillment for career success. As we build this new era, let’s cultivate workplaces that celebrate ourselves as whole people. Work is just one part of our story — let’s write hustle culture out of it.