Off-Ramps and On-Ramps

3

Extreme Jobs, Extreme Demands

The setting was tranquil enough: an elegant London conference room with celadon carpets, a ming tree, and a misty, romantic view of the River Thames. In sharp contrast, the lives on display at this focus group were hardly serene—or bucolic. Nine corporate executives (seven men, two women) in the thirty-five- to fortyfive-year-old age range were present, all clearly “high potential,” all wrestling with oversized jobs and gargantuan expectations.¹

Take Ravi:

I work over a range of time zones, but my main responsibilities are in London and Boston. My “team” is located in both places. That does a number on my evenings. It’s not unusual for it to be midnight and I’m just starting a conference call with my U.S.-based ...