Leadership is draining. We pour so much of our lives into helping others become the best versions of themselves and helping the company thrive, while we neglect our mental and physical health. We’ve been told that we’ve got to push through, grin and bear it, and keep on keeping on despite feeling worn out and tired.
And so we push on. We keep on doing what we’ve always done.
At the expense of our mental and physical health.
It’s okay for leaders to step away from leadership. Whether it’s permanent or temporary, that’s a different story.
Leaders need to step away. And for good reason.
4 Reasons To Step Away From Leadership
If you’re struggling with burnout, creativity drain, or frustration, you may need to step away from leadership. Here are 4 reasons to do so.
1. You find yourself so overwhelmed that your home life is suffering:
You’re more than just a cog in the organizational wheel. You’re a father, son, daughter, or wife. You’re also a friend to others.
When we pour so much into our work, we can neglect the important people who have allowed us to do what we do. That means we miss our children’s baseball games, ignore the needs of our spouse, or fail to show up for friends.
If we find our home lives are suffering because of our leadership responsibilities, it’s time to take a step back. It’s time to consider whether or not our position is healthy.
Take a step back. Take a vacation or a mental health day. But find a way to step back so you can get your personal life right.
2. You discover the organization is not going toward its vision:
Vision is one of the reasons people are drawn into a leadership role within an organization. We’re given this grand vision of how things will or should be. The picture is painted bright and clear.
But…
You enter into your leadership position and you realize the vision is just for show. The organization isn’t pursuing a better future, innovation, or life-change. Instead, they’re focused on staying the same. Or just on surviving.
The vision isn’t real. And that sucks.
You may discover there’s nothing you can do to help the organization course-correct toward the vision. If that’s the case, think about stepping back from leadership. Consider a move to a new organization.
3. You have changed your life goals:
Life goals can change. That’s okay! Don’t be ashamed if you discover yourself less passionate or uninterested in your current position because things have changed.
We all go through stages of life where we discover new things about ourselves. Those new things can guide us to want to work for a non-profit, run marathons for clean water, or become a professional photographer.
There’s nothing wrong with that.
If your life goals have changed, it may be time to step away from leadership in your current organization to pursue something else.
4. You are unwilling to change:
Leadership requires us to constantly grow and change. Sometimes, change clashes with our personalities. Sometimes, we don’t want to change.
If you find yourself refusing to change, you need to seriously consider whether a leadership position is right for you.
When you step aside for a while to recharge and refresh, you might discover your passion for leadership has been rekindled. Your desire to learn and grow has come back.
Sometimes, stepping away from leadership will bring you back to a place you want to lead again.
