Are we Leading toward Growth or Burnout?

Week 116: Are we Leading toward Growth or Burnout

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Leaders set the tone for workplace culture. The expectations we set—whether spoken or unspoken—shape how our teams function, innovate, and ultimately, how long they stay with us. But are we pushing our people toward growth, or are we simply pushing them to the edge?

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Recent remarks by S.N. Subrahmanyan, Chairman of Larsen & Toubro, advocating for a 90-hour workweek sparked widespread debate. He suggested that working longer hours, similar to China's model, could drive India’s economic growth. Similar sentiments were echoed last year by Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, who proposed a 70-hour workweek to boost national productivity. But before we rally behind these ideas, it’s time to ask ourselves a hard question:

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Are we leading our people toward excellence—or toward exhaustion?

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The Reality of India's Work Culture

India already has one of the longest average workweeks globally—47 hours per week according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). Yet, productivity challenges persist. 45% of Indian employees dread going to work due to toxic workplace culture, unrealistic expectations, and lack of recognition. More hours haven’t necessarily led to better results. (LSE, 2023)

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Consider the tragic case of Anna Perayil, the EY employee, who passed away last year. Her mother attributed her death to extreme workplace pressure and relentless expectations. The incident sent shockwaves across corporate India, raising concerns about whether our pursuit of higher productivity is coming at the cost of employee well-being. (The Guardian, 2024)

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Are we, as leaders, creating workplaces where performance is driven by purpose and efficiency—or by fear and burnout?

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Global data paints a stark picture. A WHO-ILO study found that long working hours contributed to 745,000 deaths worldwide in 2016. Countries like Japan, which once glorified overwork, have now introduced laws to curb excessive hours after experiencing high-profile cases of “karoshi” (death by overwork). If Japan is reversing course, should we really be heading in the same direction they once did? (WHO, 2021)

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Great leadership isn’t just about maximizing work hours—it’s about maximizing impact. Companies that prioritize work-life balance, efficiency, and employee well-being see better results. A study by McKinsey found that organizations with engaged, well-rested employees outperform their peers by 21% in profitability and 17% in productivity. (McKinsey, 2024)

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Time to Reflect: What Kind of Leaders Do We Want to Be?

Before we push our teams harder, let’s take a step back:

• Are we measuring success by hours worked or by value created?
• Are we designing workplaces where people want to work—or where they have to work out of fear?
• Are we leading our teams for long-term success, or simply burning through talent at an unsustainable pace?

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As leaders, it’s on us to set a culture where people thrive, not just survive. Instead of chasing longer hours, let’s chase smarter ways to work; create a culture and associated rewards where people would love to choose to work longer hours when needed, without any mandate. Please note, the operative word of leadership is to empower people to choose choice!