Tim Russert and the Work-Life Balance Debate

The premature death of political analyst Tim Russert at the age of 58 stunned his colleagues and, in some ways, electrified television viewers across the country. The seemingly indefatigable Russert was known as one of the hardest working men in television - the last one to leave at night and the first one into the office in the morning. But he wasn't putting in face time. He was intensely connected, a man who clearly loved his work and his celebrity.

Russert is also famous for writing a best-selling book about his relationship with his father, titled Big Russ and Me, in which he extols his father's character and working class values of honesty, decency and hard work. Russert wrote the book for his son Luke because he wanted to Luke to understand his grandfather's legacy and not assume the mantle of privilege and entitlement that children of successful professional parents sometimes acquire along with their parents' success.

I admired Tim Russert. He did, indeed, appear to be a hardworking, ethical and decent man. He was also a successful professional who clearly possessed a brilliant mind and used it effectively in his work. And then there was that incredible passion for truth and honesty, a man who brought his soul into his work as well.

The current espousal of "work-life balance" stands in stunning contradiction to Russert's living definition of a meaningful life. When many people speak of a work-life balance, they are often people who don't like or find meaning in their work and want to spend more time at play. But Russert was as committed and intense about his family life as he was about his work. For him they were both part of a passionate and committed life.

Perhaps he worked too hard and that overwork contributed to premature death. If so, that would be a tragic irony. But if Edison was right that success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, then then our individual and collective success may be placed in jeopardy by the whole work-life balance ethos.

We need to reframe the paradigm so that we understand what it means to be fully committed to both our work and our personal lives. Tim Russert was one of the finest examples of what it means to live life with passion and intensity. While his death will be viewed as a cautionary tale to slow down and smell the roses, the cliche doesn't really apply. This was a man who did smell the roses albeit while barreling down the road at 100 mph.