Leaders Need a Little Downtime Too…

The majority of leaders are driven by nature. They work long hours to ensure that the “job” gets done. Good leaders will also work to ensure that the people who they are responsible for are taking care of themselves, but many times they forget that they need taking care of also. They neglect eating right, getting a little exercise and sometimes just forget about having some plain old fun. They walk through the motions of taking vacations, but all while they are away they maintain constant contact with their “work”. In fact, the only thing that really changes is their location. They feel that this shows how dedicated they are to the mission. I do understand that there are times when you just can’t get away, but you must take advantage of the times you can. If not, you will suffer from burnout and this won’t be good for you, your people, or your job. You think you’re indispensable? Ever thought about what happens if you get hit by a bus? Sure they may have a nice service for you, but they will soon hire someone else and move on. (I know, a little extreme, but I hope you get my point) The job will not fall apart if you are not there for a few days, in fact if you have trained your people well, it will give someone the opportunity to step up their game.

Many times people sacrifice their relationships, their health, and in some cases their families for jobs where they are not truly appreciated. After many years they retire and may get a small token of appreciation from their organization never realizing the true cost of their misguided priorities.  My wife has a favorite commercial that helps to bring this point home…

 Remember…at the “end of the day” the best person to look out for you is you!!!