The Weekend That Made Me a Better CEO

Sometimes the most important leadership lesson isn’t found in a boardroom. It’s found in the moments when you finally stop leading.

This past weekend, I wasn’t a CEO.

I wasn’t reviewing financial statements.

I wasn’t preparing for board meetings.

I wasn’t solving occupancy challenges or discussing staffing changes.

For one weekend, I gave myself permission to simply be present.

I was a daughter helping my mom recover from surgery.

I made sure she was comfortable, laughed at her stories, and smiled right along with her when she put on a new shirt that fit her personality perfectly. Seeing her happy after such a difficult week was a reminder that sometimes the smallest moments mean the most.

I was a friend.

I wandered through our local farmers market, made matching hats with a little girl, and laughed harder than I have in a long time during a completely ridiculous Fourth of July plank contest. There was no prize. No winner. Just laughter that reminded me how good it feels to be fully in the moment.

I even became a gardener. Or at least someone pretending to know what she was doing.

I bought flowers.

A birdbath.

A few plants that I was convinced would either thrive or become the most expensive compost I’ve ever purchased.

At one point I stood in the middle of my flower bed, looked around, and thought, This is going to be an epic fail.

Then the rain came.

Instead of rushing to finish, I sat on my patio, listened to the rain, and realized something.

Maybe the flower bed didn’t have to be finished today.

Maybe neither did I.

Somewhere between the fireworks, my mom’s laughter, friends gathered around the patio, and the quiet moments watching birds in my backyard, I realized I had been learning about leadership all weekend.

Just not in the way I expected.

We celebrate being busy.

Somewhere along the way, many of us started believing that being exhausted was proof we were working hard enough.

Our calendars became a measure of our importance.

Our overflowing inboxes became something we joked about.

We say things like, “I’ve been slammed,” almost as if being overwhelmed is something to be proud of.

I’ve been guilty of it.

Maybe you have too.

But being busy doesn’t automatically make us better leaders. Sometimes it just makes us tired.

Presence Creates Perspective

When we’re constantly moving, we stop seeing what’s right in front of us.

This weekend reminded me that leadership isn’t only about guiding an organization.

It’s about learning to be fully present wherever you are.

When I was helping my mom, she didn’t need the CEO version of me.

She needed her daughter.

When I was sitting on the patio laughing with friends, nobody cared how many emails were waiting for me on Monday.

They cared that I was there.

Those moments weren’t taking me away from leadership. They were restoring the person who leads.

Rest Isn’t Laziness

This is probably the lesson I struggle with the most.

Leaders are natural problem solvers.

Even on vacation, our minds wander back to unfinished projects and difficult decisions.

But what if we’ve been looking at rest the wrong way?

What if rest isn’t something we earn after every task is complete?

What if rest is part of doing the work well?

Athletes understand this.

Muscles don’t grow while they’re lifting weights.

They grow while they recover.

Leadership isn’t any different.

The best decisions are rarely made by someone running on empty.

Relationships Refill What Responsibility Drains

Leadership requires us to give a little bit of ourselves every day.

We give our attention.

Our energy.

Our patience.

Our encouragement.

Our confidence.

Eventually, if we’re not intentional, we find ourselves trying to pour from an empty cup.

This weekend reminded me that the people I love aren’t distractions from my work.

They are one of the reasons I can continue doing it.

Every conversation with a friend.

Every laugh.

Every quiet cup of coffee on the patio.

Every hug from my mom.

Every drive with Dave.

Every few minutes spent watching birds explore a new feeder.

Those moments filled parts of me that another meeting never could.

Monday Will Still Come

Tomorrow there will be emails.

There will be meetings.

There will be difficult decisions.

The work didn’t disappear because I spent the weekend planting flowers, watching fireworks, and making memories.

But something changed.

I did.

I came back with more patience.

More perspective.

More gratitude.

Not because I worked through the weekend.

Because I didn’t.

One Final Thought

Before you jump into another busy week, ask yourself one question.

Not…

What do I need to accomplish?

Instead ask…

You may discover that the time you thought you couldn’t afford to take is exactly what prepares you to lead well.

Because sometimes the most productive thing a leader can do…

…is simply remember they’re human first.