Dealing with burnout

Our editor has taken one vacation in four years.
It was his option but not a smart one.
The pressure was truly weighing him down.
Now he’s on sabbatical and his mood is improved.

Lee Milteer calls this burnout.
It comes in degrees of intensity.
We need to develop “the skill of awareness.”
This means we are aware it’s happening to us.
The more we deny our feelings, the worse it gets.
We must “own” negative feelings to deal with them.
We become caught up in them and lose awareness.
That’s when we need a friend to help us.

My wife is my sharpest critic and best friend.
She steps in when burnout is happening in me.
She pulls me back to reality. We all need a wife.

Lee advises us to create an outlet.
She can reset her stress level by playing hooky.
She loves movies, popcorn and a drink.
Sitting in the dark, reality is suspended temporarily.
Let your kid come out to play. Take a break.
Relax. Cut yourself some slack.
Movies. Walks. A cup of coffee with a friend.
Whatever resets your mood and attitude.
You’ll come back refreshed, balanced and in charge.

Lee admits preaching this stuff is easier than doing it.
So quit trying to be perfect. Settle for excellence.
Go to the movies. Watch a ball game. See a friend.
If it gets too intense, take a sabbatical.
For Lee’s eLetter, go to leemilteeroffice@gmail.com

All of us pay a price for leadership.
It’s a heavy responsibility.
For more on dealing with it read:
“Lead People, Manage Things”.
Check it out at JerryBellune.com
It will turn around your life and your thinking.

The language of leadership

Ever tried to learn to speak another language?
How difficult was it to pronounce those foreign words?
Leadership has its own language, too.
Here’s a lesson in the language of leadership:
"Lead people — manage things."
Four simple words. Powerful message.
Leaders concentrate on doing the "right" things.
Managers work on doing things the "right" way.
Both skills are necessary for success.
Years ago, a talented sales manager worked with us.
Once, I marked ads in a competitor’s newspaper with a note:
"Why didn’t we get these ads, Bert?"
Bert didn’t get angry or defensive.
All he said was, "I feel like you’re trying to manage me."
It wasn’t a compliment.
Bert taught me an important lesson that day.
Leaders say, "Let’s do it together".
Not "You go do it and report back to me."
It’s powerful when a leader says "Let’s do it together".
Similar lessons are in my book:
"Lead People, Manage Things".
It’s at http://www.jerrybellune.com/books.htm