A number of S&P 500 CEOs have been identified who proactively follow “serious leisure”. These are hobbies followed seriously for fun or a habit that started at a young age. Such serious leisure may have positive effects on team performance, but it is not always the case. Running marathons has been identified to have positive effect on the productivity, but excessive golfing leads to the reverse. One of the reasons for so many CEOs devoting much time to their hobbies is that it provides detachment from more strenuous aspects of life. Through games and hobbies, leaders can keep the fire burning by striving for their best at all times. Due to the engagement during hobbies with a vast set of people, humility naturally gets bred in. This is great for the company’s talent management efforts. The CEO can feel the full control while pursuing such hobbies. Deeper connections are then forged with team members or general followers. This in turn leads to strengthening of one’s authentic leadership credentials. All this, may eventually lead to one becoming a better all-round leader.

Source:https://hbr.org/2018/10/why-ceos-devote-so-much-time-to-their-hobbies

Uploaded Date:17 October 2018