At Both Ends

January 29, 2024?

Dear Leaders,?

Overdoing it, overtaxing ourselves, working so hard that we eventually collapse.? In days of yore, we called this burning the candle at both ends, as it might provide greater light for a while, but when the ends meet, the light is extinguished.? Leaders who push themselves too far, too much, too fast, find themselves too burned out to go on.?

Military men and women know well the necessity, and yet the inherent hazards of long hours, as 18-hour days are often the norm when deployed.? With much to be done, and your family back at your home base, you make the most of it by pouring yourself into your work.? Commanders and staff officers like to be informed and in charge and tend to be omnipresent.? The fact that there are real dangers to face keeps one alert, but even the strongest have limits, and those who don’t know how to relax and unwind when they can find that it wears on them over time.? The services try to minimize this, but it isn’t always practical, and it falls to the small-unit leaders to watch their people and each other for signs that someone is burning out, giving in to the stress, or is simply no longer effective, but even that is a hard-sell to the higher-ups who live in the mindset of tough-it-out.??

For me, it was knowing how to use my brief time off for relaxation, reading, and most importantly, prayer, along with occasional calls back to the family to keep my head in the game.? I encouraged my people to do the same, while making sure they knew the difference between relaxation and sleep, as some would use their time off for extensive videogame sessions, and while enjoyable, sleep is a necessity for a recharged and refreshed mind and body.??

Change came when I went to civil service, as it was easy at first, but when I developed a strong network of colleagues and contacts, they frequently came to me, and at all hours.? When we developed a new directorate, I laid much of the foundation and taught it.? As I became a supervisor, I was the office expert not only for the mission, but also for the administration and logistics, and having weak and incompetent people above me didn’t help.? I found myself feeling the burnout, with an actual reluctance to go in on some days, but I knew I had to do it, and it was the motivation of serving my own people and many throughout the nation, not only in my own agency, but across the government that helped get me through even the trying times, for the sense of accomplishment was my guiding star.??

After 17 years, I moved to a higher position, with a high-speed staff, good leaders in the field, and as a consequence thereof, far less to do.? I was suddenly lost.? Why wasn’t the phone ringing constantly, why wasn’t my email so busy, why weren’t there three people lined up outside my door seeking assistance?? It took a while for reality to set in and realize that I had become an adrenalin junkie and that I had a good situation.? After a bit of decompression and adjustment, I started to enjoy my easier life, and set out on projects anew, not to over-burden myself, but to make use of my talent and abilities, and when you work for the government, finding problems to be solved is a target-rich environment.? ???

Leaders need to understand that they can’t do everything and shouldn’t try to do so.? Train your people well, and delegate responsibilities not only to relieve yourself of being overloaded, but also to give them experience in leadership and management.? Monitor and guide them along the way, but keep your distance to allow them to learn and grow, and also to learn the joys of having weight on their shoulders.??

Another great resource to prevent burnout is to rely on colleagues and co-workers, as having a support network is one of the greatest ways to share ideas, share pain, devise solutions, and sometimes just to unload.? In my last position, there were only eight of us throughout the organization, so we met once per month and frequently called each other.? I did the same for my field leaders, and with a bit of encouragement, I found that they too were talking with each other to address challenges.? ???

Leaders should never be afraid to communicate reality to their senior leadership, and that includes keeping the bosses informed when the plate is getting too full.? Saying yes to everything will only have them loading you up with more, so keep that open relationship, set priorities, and negotiate expectations.? For those times when their intransigence leaves you looking like you have two full plates at a Las Vegas buffet, refer back to the need to delegate, and that includes the good and the bad, for that key lime pie and chocolate sundae might both look good, but they don’t go together.??

As you learn and become skilled in the art of not overtaxing yourself, teach and mentor others in doing so.? One advantage I had from my many experiences was that I was able to teach my daughter.? As she advanced in her career, and became known for being efficient, knowledgeable, and someone who gets things done, (gets it from her Dad), she found herself increasingly busy.? I coached her in how to set her priorities, keep her leadership informed, and learn to say no.? She is learning and progressing, but still has many more years of experience to gain.??

Leadership lights the way for others, but others can see when that candle is burning too fast or too brightly, so be that measured light that knows how much is needed and where it is to be directed, and like the wise person in the buffet line, a focused approach will allow you to savor more while consuming less.? ???

Sincerely,

Tim