If you sat down right now and scanned your calendar, how full would your tank be?
For most leaders, the answer is somewhere between “running on fumes” and “miraculously still rolling.”
It’s a common trap: We equate effective leadership with perpetual hustle. Emails fly past midnight, back-to-back meetings eat every lunch break, and the mantra is always, “It’s just a busy season.” But are you actually leading - or just surviving?
Some weeks are much worse than others. Right now, I’m writing this post in a dentist’s office in between my appointments. Yes, I did ask my dentist if he had a spare space I could work from! Could I have sat and waited and rested between appointments? For sure! But did I try and fill every minute of the day – yes!
Most of us know logically that we can’t lead on empty. Not for long. You can’t inspire, coach, or even make great decisions when you’re running on adrenaline and exhaustion. Research consistently shows leaders who ignore self-renewal have worse judgment, less patience, and can actually model burnout for everyone around them.
Think about what that means for your team. If you’re depleted and distracted, they feel it - energy drops, trust erodes, and everyone moves into “just-get-through-the-day” mode.
You need a new approach. The best leaders invest in their own fuel - mental clarity, emotional connection, courage in their gut - so they can handle the good days and the hard ones.
Try This: Five-Minute Audit
- Where do you get your energy (and what drains it)?
- Do you have restorative “off” time each day - not just holidays booked but micro-rest?
- Are you moving, sleeping, fueling your body, and connecting with people who pour back into you
- What boundaries could you set, even for one week, to give yourself more space?
- Do you have someone who tells you when you’re drifting off track?
Leadership isn’t just output - it’s stewardship of your own capacity.
When you refuel, your presence sharpens. Decisions get better. People trust what you model.
Imagine team check-ins where everyone shares how they’re looking after themselves, not just what they’re getting done. That’s how cultures change. That’s how leaders last.
Your move now. Block time to recharge this week. Say no to one thing. Recharge and watch both your creativity and your team’s energy rise.
#RealLeadership #MichelleSalesLeadership #LeadFromFull #SustainableLeadership #LessBurnout
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