'n Persoonlike en professionele leierskapsperspektief op die skep en handhawing van lewensbalans

M.Phil.The purpose of this study was to investigate a problem that people experience increasingly nowadays, namely to experience life balance, from a Personal and Professional Leadership perspective. Attention was given to the concept "life balance" by describing and explaining the term, as well as to the various life dimensions in which man functions. The possible contribution of Personal and Professional Leadership in the establishment and maintenance of life balance was also analysed and described. In this study on the establishment and maintenance of life balance, the research strategy used was descriptive, i.e. a generalising motive was used. The primary research methods used in the study included word analysis, concept analysis and a literature study. A word and concept analysis of the word "life balance" was undertaken, while a literature study was conducted to investigate current data documented on the subject of life balance. The various life dimensions in which man operates, as well as the potential contribution of Personal and Professional Leadership in the establishment and maintenance of life balance, were described. The most important findings of the study are as follows: • People are tired of their hectic lives and long for a balanced, harmonious life. • People often feel torn between the obligations of a job, family, friends, the community and their own personal needs. • People strive towards balance. This implies a higher quality of life- a life in which they have more time for themselves and their relationships, as well as more time to invest in their emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. vii • Man functions within different life dimensions, which can mainly be categorised in the physical, social, spiritual, intellectual, emotional and financial dimensions. • Personal Leadership requires the individual to accept responsibility for his own life and the choices he makes, to know who he is, where he stands with himself, where he wants to be and how to get there. • The realisation of a balanced life requires of the individual some "selfawareness" - he should be aware of any indication of imbalance in any of his life dimensions, of what he sees as a balanced life and how he can accomplish such a life. • In order to establish and maintain life balance in all the different life dimensions in which a person functions, it is essential that the person should know exactly who he is, where he stands with himself, what he wants to do most, where he wants to be in his life and how to get there. • Steps that the individual can take to maintain better balance within all his life dimensions, include, amongst others, a process of value clarification, a personal mission statement, adhering to a set of objectives for specific life dimensions and continuous evaluation of his progress. From the study, it can be concluded that Personal and Professional Leadership can definitely contribute to the establishment and maintenance of life balance. Not only does the individual have a choice, but also a definite responsibility towards himself to experience real balance in life