A GOOD friend of mine recently asked if I was willing to unretire. A medium-sized firm needed guidance to recover from the ill effects of the pandemic, and he thought I could shepherd the company to a rebound into the next normal. I was enthused and, of course, flattered by my friend's confidence but after short consideration declined. I am already occupied, after all (even if semi-retired), acting as independent director in progressive banks and institutions as well as pro bono director in some NGOs (non-governmental organizations). Add these to my academic teaching commitments, and I had to beg off.

But more than my other preoccupations, I thought I was not prepared to go back to a stressful 24/7 managerial job. In my past life, I enjoyed the challenge of management and the daily jousts. I loved dealing with my staff and the people around me, motivating them to hurdle KPIs and looking for ways to innovate and meet targets. But toward the end of my corporate life, I had a medical challenge and realized that the workload had taken a physical toll. I had to listen to my body to accept the need to slow down.

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