Stress and the 70-hour workweek conundrum

A few weeks back, Indian industrialist and former Infosys chairman Narayana Murthy went viral. Speaking about productivity, Murthy said that it was important for the youth of India to work 70 hours a week. Vinod Khosla echoed his sentiments. The latter stated that his average working hours exceeded Murthy’s estimate at 80. It is something he follows to this day as well.

Let’s take a look at a few more people. In his prime, Kobe Bryant used to work upwards of 15 hours a day with 4 hours of sleep. His Los Angeles Lakers counterpart LeBron James insists on an 8-hour sleep every night. Despite this, both of them have been highly successful in the NBA.

There are days when Warren Buffet has nothing on his calendar for weeks. Bill Gates takes days off to retreat and reset himself. Of course, he devotes himself to reading. But that is beside the point.

So, what do all these people have in common? They are super successful. However, something else that meets the eye is that they do what works for them. Vinod Khosla works upwards of 80 hours a week. LeBron James does not. This shows that people do what is best for them. And that ensures their success and in turn, their productivity.

Here is my perspective on Mr. Murthy’s comments:

1. The context was not understood — While speaking to Nikhil Kamath, Murthy spoke about the youth of India. He underscored their importance in building India into a superpower. This was the underlying message to Kamath in the interview. Most viewers and the media alike seem to have missed this point. From this perspective, Mr. Murthy’s comments appear to be simple suggestions. Something, he was brutally trolled for.
2. Everyone has it different — Take a good hard look at the list of names above. There is a pattern. But, it is what works for one’s success. It must be understood that what works for LeBron James wouldn’t necessarily work for Kobe Bryant. The same goes for Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, and anyone else for that matter.

Bringing it together, Mr. Murthy’s message centered on hard work’s importance. As we have seen, hard work is important from an individual perspective. Moreover, from a nation-building standpoint, hard work can bring about certain economic ripples. Something, that can propel it forward.

As things stand, India’s GDP (nominal & real) is heading towards USD 4 trillion. Accelerated growth however, can be achieved if people come together and ensure India reaches its goals and competes globally in years to come.