What Summer Reveals About Your Leadership
Leadership Energy in the Summer: Recharge or Retreat?
A client once told me she “relaxed” on vacation by bringing her laptop to the lake and catching up on admin while her family swam.
It sounded responsible. Productive. Even reasonable.
Until she came back more drained than when she left.
That’s the tricky part about summer for many founders.
We say we’re stepping back—but stay tethered.
We tell our teams to lead—but secretly brace for impact.
And when we do unplug completely? The guilt creeps in.
Summer has a way of revealing your default leadership patterns.
Do you fill the space with busywork?
Do you disappear entirely and hope for the best?
Do you try to “rest,” but keep checking Slack?
None of these are wrong. But none are sustainable.
Here’s the shift:
What if summer wasn’t an escape—but an opportunity to observe?
To notice what your leadership energy actually needs?
Because your energy is your leadership.
And when you restore it with intention, you return sharper, clearer, more grounded.
That’s not indulgent—it’s strategic.
✍🏼 Try this journal prompt:
When I give myself permission to fully step back… what do I notice about my leadership energy?
What feels expansive? What feels edgy?
Next week, we’ll talk about what it means to let your team rise while you reset—and what they might be ready for (even if you’re not quite ready to let go).
Leadership isn’t about being “on” all the time—it’s about knowing when to step back, and how to return with clarity. If this feels like the next stretch of growth for you, let’s talk.