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Single Dad and CEO

13.08.09

I at best returned on Wednesday from a one week vacation with my children -- with my nine-year-old daughter and combine six-year-olds -- so the question of how leaders vacation is opportune. As a single father and CEO, I believe strongly in life-m balance and over time have crafted three principles that guide me:

First, there is never a considerable time to go on vacation so I just have to schedule it and do it. There are so many demands on my record that make it difficult to just take off. I say this to staff when they ask about their own vacation needs. If I lacuna for things to slow down so I can do it, it will not happen. Burn-out is subtle and often creeps up over habits as the combination of constant action and routine limit my original juices and energy. I just have to make the time and then prove it sacrosanct.

Second, if I am so indispensable that I cannot be on vacation without being totally plugged in, I am not doing my job as a chief. Last August, I was five minutes into a board meeting - the meeting when we unfashionable our annual goals and budgets - when I learned that my son had lacerated his chin and was on his way to Children's Facility. I had to leave the meeting right then, which was fine because my COO knew everything I knew, was on the same recto as me, and was able to lead the staff side of the meeting for the rest of the day. Third, team may only contact me about things that are absolutely urgent and that only I can handle. My iPhone is my meteorological conditions, my news, my GPS, my music, my phone, and my email so it of course travels with me, but I am not tied to it. On this junket, I took one call, a reference for a close colleague that had to be done before I returned. I did peep at my email, but I had the auto-reply on and, according to my "sent" folder, only sent five profession emails during the week.

Source: Washington Post