Back to all posts
Your leadership isn’t only built on the days you work.
It’s also built on the days you don’t.
It makes sense that you grow when you:
– Put in the work and effort.
– Challenge the status quo.
– Push, hustle, grind.
But your brain has a natural cycle:
• Summer (Growth)
• Fall (Reflection)
• Winter (Rest)
• Spring (Prepare)
… and repeat.
The sun can feel great, but… don’t just get stuck in “Summer”. Too much sun burns.
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”
When I first started my career, my mom told me, “When you shut your computer down, don’t restart it until you’re back at work.”
She didn’t work in corporate. But she saw what happened to my dad when he didn’t stop.
These days, we take work everywhere. Work is no longer a “place.” Now we have to create our own boundaries for work with designated times.
If we don’t, we get stuck in the sun without sunscreen.
So, I think of rest as fueling my leadership. I treat recharging like a non-negotiable.
I set daily stop times — no excuses.
I block ‘reflection / meditation’ time.
I am fully present in non-work activities.
I plan for the week every Monday morning.
And I feel the fuel. This year – my coaching slots are fully booked & speaking engagements every month.
Because the best leaders?
They don’t just push. They pause.
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”
Anne Lamott
American novelist and nonfiction writer
