— To follow is a bullet of wisdom on leadership. It comes from Tom’s rifle, named Shot, who has seen it all. You’ll get the drift by clicking Blog in the menu above. —
I’VE BEEN THERE: exhausted, or just burned out. Reminds me of the story of a puppy that was perpetually yelping: He was sitting on a cactus and was just too tired to move. A good cleaning, some oil on my stock, some blue on my barrel, a day’s rest, and I was ready to go.
You push yourself too. Sure you do. That’s common for leaders—always out in front, pursuing the next big idea, making things happen, setting the example. Whew! Gets to be a lot, and you can handle a lot, but you can also burn out. Watch for your warning signs, and when you see them, go to those things that refresh you. You’ll come back—leaders have capacity to come back—but don’t wait until you drag yourself or others down. Get to your well of rejuvenation and drink up.