My father started his career as a lawyer in a big city firm. Growing up, we kids were often told why he left: "If I work to 6pm, the guy next to me works till

My father started his career as a lawyer in a big city firm. Growing up, we kids were often told why he left: "If I work to 6pm, the guy next to me works till 7. If I work till 7, he works till 8. If I work till 8, he brings in a mattress." In my first full time job I used to joke that the only thing they paid me for was to wear a tie between 9am and 5pm. At 5pm, the tie came off, and at 6pm I was entitled to wear it around my head like a bandanna. It was an obvious reminder, to me most of all, that I was there to add value to the business, and that was linked to the work I did, not the time I put in or the appearance I projected.