Aligning Passion and Purpose: A Leader’s Perspective on Work-Life Balance

The recent debate around extended work hours has sparked conversations on productivity, employee well-being, and leadership. While the focus has largely been on the number of hours worked, I believe we’re missing the bigger picture.

Having spent two decades in the corporate world with esteemed organizations like IBM, Wipro, PwC, and Infosys, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities I had. I worked with brilliant minds, travelled the world, and lived in different countries. Yet, despite these privileges, I often felt unfulfilled. I struggled to find the drive to push myself to my absolute best, and for a long time, I didn’t understand why.

The Turning Point

One of my most vivid memories is a conversation I had with my father when I was working at Infosys in Singapore. I confessed to him that, despite my accomplishments, I felt lost. “Dad, did I make a mistake becoming an engineer? Is my entire career a mistake?” I asked. My father, who had sacrificed his dream of becoming a musician to provide for our family, empathized deeply but didn’t have a definitive answer.

Ironically, it was only after he passed that I was forced to confront my career crossroads. I returned to India, took a leap of faith, and ventured into the world of startups. My friends warned me against it, and during my exit interview at Infosys, my regional head said something that stuck with me: “You never gave your best, Santosh. You have so much potential, but you only did the bare minimum.” Those words lingered, and it took a couple of years to fully understand why.

The truth was simple yet profound: my roles, no matter how prestigious, didn’t align with my purpose. I was motivated, but I wasn’t inspired. That misalignment kept me from giving my best.

Finding Fulfillment in Purpose

Today, as the CEO of Phitons, I wake up every morning with energy and excitement. My days are packed with challenges, yet they never feel draining. Working long hours isn’t a burden because I’m deeply aligned with my purpose. The work fuels me instead of exhausting me. The only times I truly disconnect are when I’m spending time with my daughter or on a date with my wife.

This clarity has not only transformed my life but also shaped how I approach leadership.

A Leader’s Role: Aligning Passion with Purpose

Burnout isn’t about the number of hours worked—it’s about the lack of meaning in what we do. If a job is just a job, no amount of motivation can sustain long-term performance. As leaders, our responsibility isn’t to push people to work harder or longer; it’s to help them align their passions with their roles.

At Phitons, I focus on hiring the right people for the right jobs. But my role doesn’t end there. I encourage my team to set personal goals alongside their professional ones and ensure these goals are taken seriously. Managers follow up regularly, ensuring team members are growing holistically. This alignment keeps their passion alive and helps them thrive.

Once their basic and familial needs are met, earning more money becomes secondary; fulfilment becomes the primary driver.

Building Companies That Nurture Employees

Instead of enforcing rigid expectations about long hours, leaders should focus on creating environments where passion meets purpose. Employees are the most valuable assets of any company, and when their growth and satisfaction are prioritized, the organization becomes a valuable asset for them in return.

By aligning individual purpose with organizational goals, we create workplaces where extended hours aren’t a burden but a natural outcome of passion. This ensures that both employees and companies thrive—not just in terms of productivity, but in overall success.

Closing Thoughts

True leadership isn’t about pushing people to work harder or longer; it’s about inspiring them to find their best selves in their work. Aligning passion with purpose transforms a job from a source of stress into a source of energy.

When work aligns with purpose, every hour becomes a step toward fulfilment, not exhaustion.

Take a moment to reflect, does your passion align with your purpose? If not, what steps can you take today to bridge the gap?

The answer could transform not just your work, but your entire outlook on life—just as it did mine.