Needing a Full Tank

Her resignation speech went viral because it was honest and it was true, the most you could ever hope for from a leader. And if her farewell address—"I am a crier and a hugger"—didn't make you cry, you have a cold, cold heart. 

Even with presidents and chancellors I have known for decades, getting 30 minutes on their schedule often requires at least two weeks’ notice. No one has time to do things that aren’t essential or have a clear pay-off. Not that they don’t want to. There’s just no time.  

We can all fall into the busyness trap and believe if we’re not working, we’re slacking off. Many former college and university presidents say they wished that while they were in office they’d taken more time for themselves and their families. It’s understandably easy to get caught up in the job and feel that you have to devote every moment of every day to it.  

So how do you keep doing the work and also fill your tank (or recharge your solar battery)?  

A chief of staff shared an idea he had suggested to the previous university president he’d worked for, who dismissed it out of hand. But his current boss considered it, tried it, and it’s changed everything.  

What works for one person won’t fit everyone, but there are always ways to adapt bits and pieces of advice to situations and personalities. 

Here’s the suggestion: Take one day a week to stay at home for what he called a Deep Think Day. Not time off. Not playing golf or binge-watching Ted Lasso. Put on the calendar one day a week to spend reading, writing, and really thinking about how to handle all the challenges that come with the job. This won’t provide the same kind of restoration as a week at the beach or even a few hours devouring another Louise Penny novel, but it is a way to put appropriate fuel back in the tank.  

A Deep Think Day—whether it’s an entire day or just a few hours—can be a hard sell to those whose egos get in the way, or are control freaks who don’t trust their teams, or who fall prey to the busyness trap. If that’s the case, they probably won’t last long in the job anyway and may be the last to know that they’re sputtering out.  

Former Prime Minister Arden said, “I am not leaving because it was hard. Had that been the case I probably would have departed two months into the job. I am leaving because with such a privileged role comes responsibility, the responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead, and also when you are not. I know what this job takes and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It's that simple.” 

If only we were all so self-aware.

We want to hear about other hacks, tricks, and strategies busy leaders use to make sure that they are keeping their tanks full and their thoughts in the deep end.