The purpose of a leadership time out is to get you away from the stresses that come with leadership. It gives you time to cool down and regroup your thoughts. Once you understand how to take a leadership time out, it is important to understand the benefits of a leadership time out. A leadership time out is very beneficial for multiple reasons.
Three Benefits of a Leadership Time Out
In leadership, there are many times that life gets tough and you can feel overwhelmed. The solution to that feeling is a leadership time out. So what are the benefits of a leadership time out?
1. Regroup
When you take a leadership time out, you can clear your head and regroup. By taking a leadership time out, you take yourself away from your leadership responsibilities. It allows you to think through your thoughts. By regrouping, you identify how to best approach the situation and move forward.
2. Refresh
In leadership, you always need to be on your toes so you stay ahead of the game. This requires a high level of focus and concentration. After time, your brain becomes tired and your effectiveness decreases. A leadership time out allows your mind to have a break. After the mental break, you feel refreshed and more able to handle your leadership responsibilities.
3. Refocus
Leadership stress happens with a big project, a fast approaching deadline, or an external pressure weighing you down. A leadership time out gives you time to refocus. You can look at what you have done in the past and identify what worked and what didn’t. You can also look at what led to the leadership stress in the first place. As you do this evaluation, you can refocus your efforts on what was most effective and stop doing what didn’t work. Taking the time to refocus allows you to be more effective when you go back to work.
How I have benefited using a leadership time out
Right now my wife, Cassie, and I are in the early stages of parenthood. We have a 3-1/2 year old daughter and a 3-month old newborn. As parents, we are constantly trying to figure how to be better. Our goal is to effectively teach our children, so they grow up to be good people and contributing members of society.
Our 3-1/2 year old daughter is a great girl, but as happens with any kid, she acts out and we need to discipline her. We have found that an effective method to get her to behave is to give her short time outs. During her time out, we move her away from where she was misbehaving and make her think about her actions. Most of the time, it only takes a minute or two for her to realize what she was doing was wrong. She then regroups, refocuses her actions, and is refreshed when she come out.
There are also times when I get frustrated with her and take my own time out. I go to the garage or outside to take myself out of the situation. When I come back, I feel much better because of the three R’s mentioned above.
Although my example from parenting is different from leadership, the principles are the same. Using a leadership time out has helped me improve my leadership and has been very beneficial. What benefits have you experienced from a leadership time out? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below!
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