Stop the Fake Hustle: The 9 PM Reality Check

I had a client (let's call him Mark) who bragged to me about clearing his inbox at 9:30 PM on a Friday. He expected a high-five for his "dedication." Instead, I told him the truth: "Mark, you aren't dedicated. You’re disorganized."

We need to stop engaging in "performative busyness." Sending late-night emails doesn't prove you’re grinding harder than everyone else; it proves you couldn't prioritize your 40-hour week. You are bleeding your own stress into your team’s recovery time.

And let’s get some perspective here.

You are not saving lives. There is no patient on the operating table and you're going to save their life. Of course, there are emergencies - they happen - but if you treat everything like an emergency all the time, it gets old, fast.

When you ping your team on the weekend, you aren't being a leader. You're holding them hostage to your anxiety. Real leaders protect their team's time, not just their own.

• The "Schedule Send" Mandate: If you must write that email to clear your head, do it. But hit "Schedule Send" for 8:00 AM Monday. Don't make your lack of boundaries their problem.

• The 2 PM Friday Audit: Set an alarm for 2 PM Friday. If a task isn't done, either finish it now or move it to Monday. Stop trying to squeeze a gallon of work into a shot glass of time.