Why Recovery is Your Competitive Advantage

As I write this, I’m taking a break—practicing exactly what I preach. I’m away this week, recharging, stepping back from the usual demands of work, and making space for recovery. And yet, I know many leaders reading this will instinctively feel resistance to doing the same.

There’s an ingrained belief in leadership culture that more hours, more effort, and more resilience are the keys to success. But the reality, backed by decades of research, is that sustainable high performance isn’t about how hard you work—it’s about how well you recover.

If you think about peak athletes, the principle is obvious. No one expects a top sprinter to train at full speed every day without rest, or an elite footballer to play back-to-back matches without recovery sessions. So why do we expect leaders to operate at full capacity without structured recovery?

The science of leadership performance is clear: leaders who integrate recovery think better, decide better, and lead better. And yet, many of us neglect this essential part of performance until we’re already running on empty.

The Leadership Strain: Why Recovery Is Non-Negotiable

Leadership is demanding—mentally, emotionally, and physically. The Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model highlights this tension well. The idea is simple: every job has demands (e.g., high workload, decision-making pressure, emotional strain) and resources (e.g., autonomy, team support, recovery opportunities).?

The challenge for leaders? The demands keep increasing. The inbox is never empty, the problems are never fully solved, and the expectation to be "always on" is higher than ever.

Without adequate recovery, leaders end up in a state of chronic stress where their resources are depleted faster than they can be replenished. This is where burnout begins—not from a single moment of exhaustion, but from a prolonged period of resource drain without recovery.

A financial analogy works well here. Imagine your leadership energy as a bank account. Every stressful meeting, high-stakes decision, and late-night email is a withdrawal. Recovery is your only way to make deposits. If you keep withdrawing without replenishing, you go into energy debt—and just like financial debt, it compounds over time.

So how do leaders build in recovery as a strategic resource rather than seeing it as a luxury?

Tony Schwartz, in his work on energy management, makes a critical distinction: high performance isn’t about managing time; it’s about managing energy. Time is finite, but energy can be renewed—if you know how to do it.

Schwartz identifies four key energy sources:

• Physical Energy: The foundation—sleep, movement, nutrition.
• Emotional Energy: The fuel—positive interactions, stress management.
• Mental Energy: The focus—deep work, creative thinking.
• Spiritual Energy: The driver—alignment with purpose and values.

When leaders struggle with energy, they often try to “push through,” assuming that more time at work will solve the problem. But the reality is that working more hours in an exhausted state produces diminishing returns. A study on decision fatigue found that even experienced judges were more likely to deny parole later in the day simply because their cognitive resources were depleted. If high-stakes legal decisions are influenced by fatigue, imagine how much day-to-day leadership decisions are affected by a lack of recovery.

The best leaders structure recovery into their days, just as elite athletes do.?

One of the most influential voices in the science of recovery is Sabine Sonnentag, whose research has consistently shown that leaders who fully detach from work during non-work hours are more engaged, creative, and effective. The key word here is detachment. Simply being at home or taking a break isn’t enough if your mind is still occupied with work.

Consider the leader who “takes a break” but still checks emails every five minutes, compared to the one who truly disconnects. Sonnentag’s research suggests that even short moments of detachment—going for a walk, engaging in a hobby, or focusing on a completely different task—can have significant recovery benefits.

In one study, leaders who engaged in active recovery (such as exercise or social activities) had higher levels of energy and resilience the following day than those who passively consumed media (e.g., watching TV).?

Intentional recovery matters—not all downtime is equally effective.

In my own research, I explored how recovery impacts transformational leadership—a leadership style that is deeply personal, emotionally demanding, and often tied to a sense of responsibility for others. The leaders I interviewed shared a common challenge: they were highly engaged, but they also struggled to step away.

What I found was that the most effective leaders weren’t the ones who worked the longest hours—they were the ones who strategically built recovery into their routines. Whether it was a morning run, an evening with family, or a complete digital detox on weekends, these leaders understood that their ability to inspire and drive performance depended on their ability to renew themselves first.

One executive described recovery as “oxygen for leadership”—without it, everything else starts to suffocate.

Making Recovery a Leadership Habit

So how do we take recovery seriously as leaders? The answer isn’t to wait until burnout forces us to slow down. Instead, it’s about building micro-recovery habits before we need them.

• Design an “Cut-Off” Ritual: Whether it’s a post-work walk, an evening wind-down routine, or turning off notifications at a set time, create a clear boundary between work and recovery.
• Use Micro-Recovery Throughout the Day: Small breaks—five minutes of deep breathing, stepping outside, or even a quick stretch—can reset energy levels.
• Prioritise Physical Recovery: Sleep, movement, and nutrition aren’t “nice to have” for leaders. They are the foundation of performance.
• Mentally Detach from Work: Sonnentag’s research is clear—leaders who switch off come back sharper and more focused. Set yourself up for true detachment in the evenings and on weekends.
• Align with Your Purpose: One of the most powerful recovery tools is reconnecting with what drives you. If your work has become pure grind, you may need to reassess, realign, and reset.

Right now, as you read this, I’m practicing what I preach. I’m away this week, stepping back from the daily demands, and giving myself the space to recharge. This topic felt right to discuss this week, I truly believe those who prioritise recovery don’t just feel better—they perform better.?

I also got to tick another thing off the bucket list, seeing the incredible FC Barcelona live.