4 Valid Reasons to Work Extra Hours

I replied to a Slack message at 6:28pm last week.

I scheduled a call for the next morning at 7:00am.

This was much earlier and later than I usually work, but I did it with no complaints.

If you want to be seen as a leader, you have to put in the extra time. You can't work more than 40 hours every week, that's a recipe for burn out. You need to put in extra hours only when it's necessary.

Only when the team needs it.

Only when it puts a feather in your cap.

This is how to decide when to put in the extra hours.

You're working with the C-suite

Don't squander your reputation with the C-suite, especially if you're working with the CEO on a project.

This is prime time to put in the extra hours and show the highest levels of the organization that you're committed to making the company successful. Executives want problems to be solved and they will remember that you put in extra work to help them out, even if they don't acknowledge it.

Put in the hours and prove that you're a high performer.

The work is tied to money (revenue/profit)

Companies don't exist if they don't make money.

Put in extra hours if your work is tied to the company making or losing money. It's in your personal best interest to ensure the company is as profitable as possible. Plus, you can brag in your next performance evaluation that you helped improve the bottom line of the business.

When the company makes more money, over time, you will too.

You should have done the work sooner

If things are behind and it's your fault, work more hours to make it right.

If you missed the deadline, forgot about the project, didn't follow-up with stakeholders, didn't communicate early enough, or didn't coordinate with peers, you deserve to work more.

You don't get ahead by working late to correct your mistakes. You're just ensuring things don't get worse. Take ownership that you didn't perform well and accept the outcome (your longer hours).

This is damage control. Don't let it happen again.

You're building leadership capital

Leadership capital is your career currency.

You build it by helping people without asking for anything in return. You cash in on this capital when you ask them for a favor (which you should do seldomly because when you spend leadership capital, it takes time to build it back up).

A potent tactic to build leadership capital is to work early, late, or on the weekends to help someone out. Maybe the work isn't consequential to you, but it is to the other person. When you help them, you prove that you care.

And when you don't ask for anything in return, they feel indebted to you. Your leadership capital will be off the charts with this person. Later, when you need something from them, they'll say yes with no hesitation. They'll remember what you did for them.

You don't always need to work extra hours.

But when you do, make sure it's for the right reasons.

You'll benefit in the end.