Leaders Work Hard, to Play Hard

LEADERS Work Hard, to Play Hard

“Work Hard, to Play Hard.”  It’s been our mantra for years, long before we decided to partner in “Lead to Inspire.”  But too often in business, when a leader is under pressure, instead of taking a break to restore or play hard, the tendency is to work even harder.  If you’re not at work, business won’t get done, right?

That’s not always true.  If you’ve hired the right people and trained them, the next step you have to take is to trust they’ll do the right thing whether you’re in the room or not.  Simply put, the trust you build with your employees is what empowers each of them to do the job they’ve been hired to do and gives you the opportunity to take a break, to recharge and to refresh.   

Leadership is a lot like parenthood.  You have children, you nurture them, teach them and pray one day they’ll be able to spread their wings and soar.  Does this mean a life with no room for failure?  Absolutely not, we all fail on occasion, but learning from those mistakes is what makes us stronger.

If you tend to focus too much on working hard and don’t think you can be away from the pulse of the action for more than a few hours, you may need to rethink that and consider taking some time to play hard.  Recharging your own soul, reconnecting with loved ones and giving your team time to take the lead, creates a win-win culture where everyone succeeds, including your business.

If it’s time for you to recharge, consider attending our Lead to Inspire Leadership and Wellness Summit this fall.  Register at www.leadtoinspire.net.