From Ultra-Marathons To Landing Great Side Gigs: This Week’s Top Leadership Stories

This week we learned how to counter a boss’s morally questionable requests, why extreme sports keep the president of Hotwire grounded at work, and where the most lucrative part-time work can be found.

These are the stories you loved in Leadership for the week of September 12:

1. This CEO’s Secret To Work-Life Balance? Ultra-Marathons

“I’m a believer in work/leisure balance,” Hotwire president Henrik Kjellberg told Fast Company this week. “I think life can contain both.” That might sound like a bland remark if you don’t know what Kjellberg means by it on a personal level. The exec frequently travels to remote locales and runs grueling ultra-marathons—habits he says keep him focused and grounded at work.

2. You Don’t Need To Be In Tech To Find High-Paying Part-Time Jobs

Not all part-time work is created equal, according to new data from FlexJobs. Here’s a look at the fields and roles that earn the highest part-time pay—plus a few other key trends in the freelance economy right now.

3. Here’s A Guide To Deciphering Your Boss’s Vague Instructions

Is your boss being careless? Is she testing you? Sometimes being given open-ended directives—whatever the reason—is an opportunity to prove why you’re capable and worth trusting. This week we learned how to seize it.

4. Exactly What To Do To Convince Your Boss To Let You Work From Home On Fridays

According to one recent study, up to 80% of employers offer flexible hours but only 44% tell their employees about them. That means you may have a better shot at working from home at the end of the week than you might think. Here’s how to broach the subject with your boss and what to say when you do.

5. 7 Ways To Respond When Your Boss Asks You To Do Something Unethical

First things first, avoid jumping to conclusions. Then assess the situation—the way you respond will depend quite a bit on the context. But according to these experts, you may have more options than you think when it comes to handling morally dubious requests.