Work-Life Balance Is a Myth?
This CEO Explains Why Aslak de Silva introduces his “Tetris-ing your life together” concept, challenging the traditional notion of worklife balance. Rather than striving for perfect daily equilibrium, he emphasizes actively managing one’s calendar to strategically block out time for different life priorities—family, friends, work, training, and personal development.
This approach to what is having a work-life balance moves beyond mythical perfection, acknowledging that not everything can happen simultaneously but can be thoughtfully arranged to fit together over time. The goal is achieving fulfillment by ensuring all valued aspects of life receive attention through flexible, adaptive planning as life evolves.
The discussion shifts to #being more present in the moment, drawing from Aslak de Silva’s martial arts background.What does it mean to be more present means fully engaging in the current moment, whether being a more present parent or in professional interactions.
Aslak de Silva shares anecdotes—his daughter learning to ride a bike and his wife’s text on a train—illustrating how being present and mindful strengthens connections and significantly impacts others’ feelings. In leadership, being present in a relationship with team members allows genuine support, encouragement, and obstacle removal, creating a strong sense of care. Being present meditation and martial arts training demonstrate that this mindful engagement is a developable skill requiring consistent practice. Tim Staton and Aslak de Silva explore developing #discipline and habits, especially for those without military or martial arts backgrounds. #Discipline and good habits are framed not as innate traits but as muscles strengthened through small, consistent actions. Aslak de Silva suggests starting with achievable daily practices—a healthy breakfast or short exercise—and gradually building upon them. The core principle is that “discipline beats motivation,” meaning consistent action, even when unmotivated, yields greater results than waiting for inspiration. This internal journey of self-leadership, managing one’s well-being and habits, directly influences leadership effectiveness and supports #being more present and being mindful and present in all aspects of life.
Aslak de Silva explains the genesis of his book, “Black Belt Leadership,” synthesizing his 15-20 years in martial arts with his CEO career. He recognized that the developmental journey in martial arts, marked by different colored belts, paralleled the continuous growth required in leadership, prompting him to document his learnings.
The book explores how martial arts principles—resilience, focus, and continuous improvement—apply to leadership. Aslak de Silva also shares how artificial intelligence (AI) assisted him in structuring scattered ideas, maintaining consistent tone, and organizing content into 20 actionable lessons, making the writing process more efficient.
A key takeaway from both martial arts and leadership is accepting imperfection. Aslak de Silva emphasizes that even the best fighters make mistakes, and leaders will inevitably face challenges and failures. The goal is not perfection but continuous calibration, learning from both successes and missteps. This requires boldness to try new approaches and self-awareness to understand one’s strengths and weaknesses.
Aslak de Silva highlights that knowing one’s weaknesses allows for building a complementary team, ensuring all project aspects are handled effectively. The conversation concludes by touching upon leadership instincts and the idea that some people might fear success due to potential sacrifices involved, underscoring the importance of commitment and effort from day one to achieve one’s full potential.
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