Taking care of yourself and refueling isn’t just important in your personal life… it’s just as important in your role as a manager. Just like finding balance at home strengthens your family, finding balance at work strengthens your team. Giving the best version of yourself lifts them up, and ultimately reflects your leadership.
In a previous post, I shared some of the challenges we’ve faced recently after two rounds of layoffs. As a manager, this has been one of the hardest situations to push through.
The managers I lead, and myself included, put our heads down, focused on the grind, and getting the everyday tasks to adjust to our smaller team. And here’s the tricky part… it’s so easy to get stuck in the grind until it becomes the “new normal.”
As leaders, our job is to catch that cycle and help the team break out of it. But the truth is, to do that, you often need to start with yourself.
Because here’s what happens when you’re “doing” instead of leading… you limit the development of others. Have you noticed yourself picking up tasks that belong to your team? Hoarding responsibilities? I do it too. I tell myself, I don’t want to burn them out or I need to make sure this gets done correctly and on time, so I might as well just do it myself.
But this is the perfect recipe for a team that becomes overly dependent on you. And if you’ve been managing long enough, you know the ultimate compliment isn’t when the team needs you for everything… it’s when you step away—whether on PTO or in meetings—and hear that the team ran smoothly as if you were there. That’s the true measure of leadership. And staying stuck in the hoarding cycle will never get you there.
So what do we do? We delegate… we let the team shine. We help them strategize, problem-solve, and look at issues from fresh perspectives. The goal is to make sure responsibilities are pushed down to the right levels, and once that happens, you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
After all, development and watching others succeed is what makes you a great manager. That alone provides so much fuel. I’ve seen it again and again—the wonders of teamwork and collaboration. Teams come through when they’re trusted, and often the most impactful process changes are born out of these difficult seasons. They drive unity, innovation, and problem-solving.
So how do you start refueling yourself enough to lead from this place? By being intentional. Set time aside in your schedule to connect with peers, your own manager, or attend a leadership conference. The point is simple… invest in yourself.
And remember, management is a learned skill. Refuel with knowledge, seek out guidance, and brainstorm with strong leaders in your organization. You’re not alone—your challenges may have been someone else’s at some point, and hearing their perspective can be the spark you need.
If your manager is also your mentor, reach out. This isn’t complaining… it’s growth. I’ll always respect someone who acknowledges an issue and seeks ways to improve over someone who ignores the problem altogether. Depending on resources, leadership seminars and conferences can also be an incredible boost. Sometimes you leave with practical advice you can apply right away, and other times you simply walk away re-energized with the positive energy you didn’t realize you were missing.
Step away from the problem when you can… come back with the right mindset to solve it. I can’t tell you how many times a conference or even a simple conversation that started with problem-solving goal in mind turned into exactly the fuel I needed.
As a leader, I’ve also learned the importance of investing in my managers. I love when team members ask to attend a system conference or take a course. Nine times out of ten, it’s not about the system or the class itself… it’s about the renewed spirit and commitment they bring back.
So, give yourself grace… but also be aware and intentional about when you need to refuel. Make the time, and then share your results. I’d love to hear from other leaders, what works for you when you’re running on empty?