Don't Wait to Unplug

Often, we as leaders wait to unplug from work as a reaction to a problem we are having.

Experiencing burnout? Having a health issue? Problems in other areas of life? The answer is to take a vacation, find a counselor, or shift focus from our vocation to another area for a while.

The problem with waiting? The damage is already done. The issue we are having today didn’t just happen, it’s probably been building for quite some time. The impact of that build-up has been felt by our staff, clients, family, and friends for a while now.

So, what can we do? Instead of managing by exception and waiting for something to happen… pre-empt it. Proactively decide and build a cadence to unplug. The goal? Disconnect sooner to keep from falling into the burnout or issue in the first place.

You must understand of course that disconnecting won’t bulletproof you as a leader, but it will hold off some of the more common negative issues leaders face. The byproduct of all this is that your effectiveness as a leader will improve. Seriously!

Part of my research on leadership sustainability found that leaders who took the time to disconnect periodically and proactively, connect back into their organization stronger when they return.

My recently published dissertation studies leaders in one of the populations most found to be susceptible to burnout: nonprofit organizations. Transferrable to all leaders, the point is that leaders who disconnect from their work sooner, before they experience a problem, reconnect stronger.

Disconnecting not only helped the leaders, but their staff, clients, family, and friends. My plea to you as a leader is to build a routine now. A schedule for today, the week, the month… and take time!

Disconnect sooner to reconnect stronger. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later.

Download my study, read it through when you get a chance, and let me know what you think. https://etd.ohiolink.edu/pg_10?0::NO:10:P10_ACCESSION_NUM:case1559916763158355