Leisure's Not a Luxury. It's a Requirement for Top Leaders // TRAIN BRAIN

Leisure's Not a Luxury. It's a Requirement for Top Leaders

For strivers, leisure may be the hardest skill to master--but it's also one of the most important. Arthur C. Brooks, author of "The Happiness Files" and "The Meaning of Your Life", argues that leisure is not laziness or escape, but a serious practice that can make us more creative, grounded, and effective. He challenges leaders to rethink “work-life balance” and instead pursue a more integrated, meaningful life. For ambitious professionals, the lesson is clear: learning how to use leisure well may be one of the most important skills for long-term happiness and success.
More from Arthur C. Brooks: http://themeaningofyourlife.com/ and https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Files-Insights-Arthur-Brooks/dp/B0F4MFQ6VN
Books, tools, and more: store.hbr.org
Follow us:
https://hbr.org/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvard-business-review/
https://www.facebook.com/HBR/
https://twitter.com/HarvardBiz
https://www.instagram.com/harvard_business_review
Sign up for Newsletters: https://hbr.org/email-newsletters
#HarvardBusinessReview #YourCareer #Career #Job #Work #Business #Harvard #HarvardBusinessSchool
Copyright © 2026 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved.

Harvard Business Review

At Harvard Business Review, we believe in management. If the world’s organizations and institutions were run more effectively, if our leaders made better decisions, if people worked more productively, we believe that all of us — employees, bosses, custome...

Leisure's Not a Luxury. It's a Requirement for Top Leaders.

Two Questions That Signal Your Company's Future Value

What Actually Drives Customer (and Employee) Behavior

Leisure's Not a Luxury. It's a Requirement for Top Leaders

Why You’re Bad at Disagreeing (And How to Fix It)

Introducing: Becoming an Octopus Organization

What We Stand to Lose (and Gain) from AI

When Using AI Leads to "Brain Fry"

When "Human-Centered" AI Misses the Human Part

The Bias That Makes You Think You're Right

Why "Winning" an Argument Is a Losing Strategy

Is Your Leadership to Blame for AI Workslop?

Your Organizational Structure Could Be Slowing You Down

How McKinsey's Workforce Is Evolving with AI

Live from Davos: Is AI Taking Jobs—Or Transforming Them?

How McKinsey Is Changing What “Top Talent” Means

The Big AI Questions I'm Taking to Davos

What Gen Z Employees Wish Leaders Understood

Why Great Careers Take Time (Not Instant Promotions)

Why Great Leaders Focus on the Details

How to Boil Your Strategy Down to a Single, Clear Visualization

Purpose-Driven Leadership in an Era of Polarization

Steady Leadership in Tumultuous Times

Leadership Requires Discomfort, But Our System Discourages It

Masterclass: What's Blocking You from Scaling Up as a Leader?

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon on Leading with Purpose in Uncertain Times

Are Your Beliefs Holding You Back as a Leader?

Is AI a Boom or a Bubble?

Forget Perks—Here's What Makes Employees Happy

Walmart's CEO Predicts AI Will Transform Every Job

Have Leaders Abandoned Their Core Values?

Your Team's Happiness Starts with You

How Leaders Can Be Happier

Are You Leading—or Just Reacting to Volatility?

The Hidden Anxiety No One Talks About in Leadership

Masterclass: How to Spark and Steer Disruptive Change

6 Ways to Practice Everyday Courage

To Lead Better, Shift the Beliefs That Hold You Back

How to Determine Your Hidden Blockers

Why Senior Leaders Should Stop Having So Many One-on-Ones

Leading Is Emotionally Draining. Here’s How to Recover.

The Evolving Role of the CFO

Bozoma Saint John on the New Reality of Leadership

AI-Generated “Workslop” Is Destroying Productivity

The Story You Tell Yourself Creates Courage

Jimmy Fallon and Bozoma Saint John on Building Brands People Love

Walls and Moats Won't Save You. Innovation Will.

Jimmy Fallon on Leading with Gratitude, Humor, and Heart

Walls and Moats Won't Save You. Innovation Will.

Don't Bring Your "Whole Self" to Work—Bring Your Best Self

Leading with Courage in an Age of Uncertainty

Mental Health in the C-Suite

How Common Knowledge Shapes Culture and Markets

HBR Executive Masterclass: Become a Better Negotiator

Join Us on October 6th Live with Arthur C. Brooks

Stop "Helping" in Ways That Hold Your Team Back

Is Your Brand Optimized for AI Search?

Steven Pinker on Speculative Bubbles and the Power of Public Signals

A Smarter Way to Delegate: What to Keep vs. What to Hand Off

From 'Epic Disruptions': 5 Lessons in Innovation from Julia Child

Should Your Company License Content to AI?

Research: The Hidden Penalty of Using AI at Work

How Humor Makes Leaders More Effective

The Case for Putting Down Your Phone

How Disruption Really Happens: 5 Big Ideas

To Connect at Work, Learn Your Team's Laugh Languages

Leaders, Reduce Team Stress by Making One Simple Change

Lean into Your Imposter Syndrome, Don't Give into It

How to Stay on Top of Your Team's Projects (Without Micromanaging)

Should You Use AI to Write Work Emails?

Why Taylor Swift's Podcast Surprise Is a Masterclass in Marketing

Why Imposter Syndrome Can Actually Be a Good Sign

How to Tell the Difference Between a Strong Instinct and a Knee-Jerk Reaction

Business Runs on Data. But What About Instinct?

Identify Your Leadership Blindspots

Imposter Syndrome Can Actually Be a Good Sign

How Non-Profits Navigate Uncertainty: Lessons from Save the Children U.S.

There Are 168 Hours in a Week. Are You Using Them Well?

How to Turn Your Inner Critic into Your Ally

Why You Need Joy Throughout Your Career