How Vacation Improves Your Leadership

I'm sitting in a hotel room on a family vacation as I write this. My kids are in kids' camp, and my husband is waiting for me on the beach. I've avoided my computer successfully for five consecutive days, so I'll keep this short so I can get back outside!

Time off isn’t just part of your benefits package; it's intended to give you a reset in multiple ways. It has measurable, research-backed benefits for performance, decision-making, and leadership effectiveness. And yet, some studies show that up to 30% of time off goes unused (while up to 50% of workers are reporting burnout). Here's some of what I found, and what it means for you in practice:

Improved creativity and decision-making

Time away from work improves problem-solving and creativity by allowing your brain to engage in “diffuse thinking” (as opposed to the "focused thinking" it does all day, every day at work). Letting your mind wander and consider many topics while on vacation helps reset your ability to think creatively. Managers who take regular vacations report higher creativity when tackling complex problems post-break.

Reduced stress

Vacations reduce stress by lowering cortisol levels, with benefits lasting weeks after return. Longitudinal data from the Framingham Heart Study found that men who did not take regular vacations had a higher risk of heart attack, and women who vacationed infrequently were significantly more likely to develop coronary heart disease. It's not just taking the time off; it's that the chronic stress you face leads to burnout, poor leadership behavior, and higher turnover on their teams.

Increased productivity

When you're rested, you (generally) return to work with higher levels of happiness and clarity. Usually, that positive attitude rubs off on other employees, boosting morale. Taking vacation is associated with better performance, not slacking. That said, you have to make sure your vacation is restful and rejuvenating, and not just meeting a family or other obligation.

More effective delegation

When you take time off, it forces you to delegate tasks, which can build team autonomy. I encourage leaders to clarify with their teams what, exactly, they should be contacted for and what they should be expected to solve themselves. When you are always responding to emails from your vacation, you don't inspire trust or confidence in your team. Ironically, not taking vacation often signals weak systems or over-dependence on one person.

The benefits are clear, but so are the obstacles. They often sound like:

• If I don't keep up with my emails while I'm off, there will be too many when I get back.

• I don't want to be out of the loop on important client business.

• My team needs me - we're understaffed as it is.

• I need to set the tone.

If those excuses sound like you, I invite you to consider what you're afraid of. What does disconnecting mean to you? What do you connect to when you disconnect from work? What happens to your body when you feel "out of the loop"? Your brain needs the rest, so what gets in the way of you giving that to yourself?

(not me)