Yesterday we began our two-part series on how leaders can avoid burnout.
It began with a Forbes article that discussed 10 tips on the very topic.
We started with the first five in yesterday's post. Today we'll explore the second five.
The support team isn't an internal team. Some people call it an advisory board and others call it coffee with friends. Think about who you know and what types of things they do really well. Then devise a list of questions and invite them to coffee. If you want something a little more formal, consider an executive group such as Vistage.
You are the only one who can set those boundaries...and your team members will follow suit. There is a CEO in Canada who has a rule that no emails are to be sent or received after 5 p.m. He says it took about six weeks for people to get used to it, and now there is a flurry of activity at 4:45 each day, but his team members are much more productive because of it.
While routine can make you productive, if you only sit at your desk all day, every day, you'll easily bore. Take meetings outside of the office. Do a walk-around every morning and talk to team members. Get out of your chair.
It's easy to focus and work all day and suddenly 12 hours have gone by. But all work and no play makes for a very boring leader. Even if you have to break up your day by watching a funny video or two, it's a welcome brain break that will make you even more productive.
Some leaders don't work weekends. Others wait and take two week vacations. Whatever works for you, make sure you have scheduled time off that does not include meetings, phone calls, or emails.
Do you agree with these 10 tips? What works for you?