By Louise Oliver, APR - Peritus PR | November 21 2024
As business owners, we preach the importance of recharging to our teams, yet we often fall short of doing it ourselves. Whether it’s vacation, sabbatical or parental leave, the idea of truly stepping away feels unrealistic. I’ve had to navigate this myself, stepping away from my firm, Peritus PR, for a three-month maternity leave. This wasn’t my first extended time off, but it was the first time I truly disconnected — and it was a transformative experience for me and my team.
In the PR industry, taking time off isn’t always straightforward. There’s an expectation that you’re still available for emergencies or to answer critical emails. I had taken two previous “leaves” that felt more like “leave-ish” periods, where I was still subtly tethered to scanning my inbox or playing the “hero” role when something blew up. I thought this was just part of the price we pay as business owners, but my most recent leave was a game changer not only myself, but our entire team.
With guidance from my agency’s mentor, Drew McClellan from the Agency Management Institute, I was challenged to fully disconnect—to completely walk away without looking back so I could level up our organization.
When Drew said, “you’re not as important as you think you are,” it was a gut punch. My ego and fear were holding me back from giving my team the opportunity to lead and make decisions confidently.
During that time, especially once I moved beyond the guilt, I began thinking more clearly than ever. Weeks later, I felt energized and inspired, and I was able to see my life and business in a way that could transform our firm into our next chapter of growth. It shouldn’t take an intervention from a mentor or imminent due date to make leaders reconsider how they approach their work, or how they can step away to step up.
I had the opportunity to share these insights with PRGNPresents Podcast Host Abbie Fink in this week’s episode of the podcast series.
1. Letting Go is Crucial
As communicators, we’re skilled at planning for contingencies and ensuring all bases are covered. For my leave, I spent weeks overpreparing, communicating with stakeholders and empowering my team. However, the hardest part was not the planning but rather the mental shift of genuinely letting go. I had to come to terms with the fact that my team could thrive without my constant presence, and that the likelihood of something catastrophic happening was unlikely.
2. Trust Your Team, And Yourself, to Level Up
One of my biggest takeaways was witnessing my team’s growth in my absence. Without me as the go-to decision-maker, my leadership team naturally began to rely on each other, developing deeper bonds and collaboration. This time away forced them to step into their roles fully and I was amazed by how they handled challenges and thrived together. I realized I’d been unwittingly acting as the “glue” between them, but by stepping back, I allowed them to learn to value one another’s contributions and develop their own collaborative leadership rhythm.
3. Embracing “Irrelevance” as a Growth Strategy
One of the most surprising lessons I learned was how embracing a sense of “irrelevance” is empowering. By giving my team full autonomy, I created a culture where they could experiment, grow and trust their decisions. Letting go not only provided me with personal clarity but also reinforced my trust in my team’s ability to carry the firm forward.
Through this leave process, we realized there was a leader who had the skills necessary to run the firm’s daily operations, so I could transition into a more vision, strategy and growth role. The first week after this transition, I spent an entire day writing handwritten notes to potential clients who I have always dreamed of meeting with. Within a week of delivering those notes, I had three meetings set up with potential dream clients. Irrelevance leads to greener pastures and more fulfillment in most cases.
4. Establish Your Guard Rails
While stepping away gives your leadership team the chance to grow into new roles, it’s important to provide them with guardrails—trusted resources or thought partners they can rely on when faced with high-stakes decisions. Fortunately, we had an agency consultant who served as a valuable lifeline offering strategic counsel when needed.
Even if you don’t have a consultant on your vendor roster, there’s likely someone within your network who can provide that outside perspective. And if you don’t have that external partner yet, now is the time to identify them to elevate not only your leadership team but also be in a position to challenge you to disruptive approaches.
5. Returning with a Fresh Perspective
Coming back to a firm that had evolved and strengthened in my absence was both humbling and inspiring. I saw that I no longer needed to insert myself into every decision. Instead, I could focus on the areas where my unique strengths could drive our vision forward. Leaning into a different, more strategic role allowed me to reconnect with the “why” of my work and engage with a renewed sense of purpose and move our firm forward far more efficiently than otherwise.
The experience of taking a “real” leave highlighted the importance of sustainability in leadership. As leaders, we need to show our teams that it’s okay to take time for ourselves and that we trust them to lead in our absence. I now advocate that business owners, regardless of their team size or industry, consider stepping back as an investment in their team’s resilience and growth.
In reflecting on my time away, I’ve come to believe that a well-structured, truly disconnected leave isn’t just a perk—it’s a necessity. It strengthens the team, deepens trust and allows us as leaders to focus on the bigger picture. For those of us who may be hesitant to step away, my advice is simple: trust your team and trust yourself.
If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the PRGN Presents podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or any other podcast app. We publish new episodes every other Thursday. To have them delivered automatically and free of charge, just choose your preferred podcast player from this list, open the app, and click the button to “Follow” or “Subscribe” to the show: https://prgnpodcast.com/listen
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