The Nature of Leadership and Career

read time 6 minutes

The Nature of Leadership and Career, is a weekly newsletter where I provide 1 illustration and ~3 ideas to help you connect to your career, leadership, or work journey in a more natural way.

Today at a glance

• Illustration of the Week

  - The heart of re-entering work after a break

• The Nature of Career

  - 7 Steps to intentionally return to work

• Gem of the week

  - Free career search webinar

Illustration of the Week

You’re not the same person as you were after you take a break from work….

…Whether you are returning for a sabbatical, parental leave, burnout, illness, study, travel or a pause between roles.

While you're ready to return, you're also hesitant because you found something valuable during your time off that you don’t want to lose:

• Self-care practices

• A new relationship with time

• Improved relationships with close ones

• A different perspective on what matters

• Creativity and fun that came from having space

What should you consider to ensure you operate differently when you return to work?

Here are 7 steps to intentionally return to work and retain the essence of “you”.

1. Assess Your Current Career Phase

Understand where you are in the adaptive career cycle. Don’t assume that because you had time off, you’ve moved through the release and reorganization phases and are now ready for growth. You might be entering any of the four phases for different reasons:

• Growth: You aim to get a promotion, learn new skills, or transfer departments.

• Stabilization: You want to operate business as usual at a steady pace.

• Release: You need time to figure out what's next while earning your salary and planning an intentional exit.

• Reorganization: You’re ready to use your brain in familiar ways again and need your paycheck while figuring out "what next."

Understand where you are in the adaptive career cycle helps you to be intentional about the steps you will take to re-enter.

Common Mistakes

• Re-entering and feeling flat because you haven’t acknowledged that it’s time to leave, causing you to get stuck in a steady state and fall into the rigidity trap.

• Putting pressure on yourself to be in a high-growth phase when you actually need a period of steady work or reorganization.

• Not recognizing that you are in the reorganization phase and expecting yourself to be ready and healed from the start.

2. Get Specific on What You Want to Maintain

Identify the specific aspects of your time off that you want to maintain during your reintegration. Whether it’s an activity like gardening or a feeling like freedom and playfulness, articulate it clearly and safeguard time for it in your schedule.

3. Develop or Revisit Your List of Boundaries

For each boundary, write out the irrational fears that arise when someone challenges it. Then, document your mindset and actions to overcome these challenges. This clarity helps you uphold your boundaries in the face of pressure.

4. Develop a “First 90 Days” Plan

Treat your return to work as a fresh start. Create a plan for your first 90 days to bring a sense of newness and challenge old patterns.

Include both what you will do and what you won’t do, particularly avoiding actions that breach your boundaries.

5. Have an Accountability Buddy

Choose someone who will help you stay honest with yourself—a friend, family member, colleague, or coach who is both kind and firm.

Avoid those who tell you what you “should” be doing or criticize you for not sticking to the plan. Reintegration is tough, and it's okay to make mistakes.

6. Change Your Environment to Change Your Habits

Changing your environment can significantly impact your behavior. This doesn’t necessarily mean a major change like shifting departments or organizations, but can also involve small changes like switching rooms, altering your routine, or doing tasks in different locations like a coffee shop.

Experiment with different locations and approaches in your first 90 days to establish new habits.

7. Do an Energy Audit

Planning logically and emotionally prepares you, but a plan can’t predict your emotional responses to work activities. Conduct an energy audit for two weeks by reviewing your calendar or activities daily or weekly:

• Red: Activities that drain your energy (e.g., meetings with no outcome, reviewing spreadsheets).

• Yellow: Activities that are neutral (e.g., routine tasks).

• Green: Activities that energize you (e.g., coaching team members, attending webinars).

Identify patterns and find ways to eliminate, automate, or delegate draining tasks. For unavoidable tasks e.g. immovable meetings, find ways to make them less draining. Amplify the energizing activities.

THE MOST IMPORTANT PART: Observe your Emotions

Your emotions will guide you more strongly than any logical plan.

Combining emotional awareness with the logical steps above will help you find your best next step as you re-enter work.

Listen to your body and mind as you navigate this transition.

You’ve got this! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

#1 Gain clarity and confidence in your leadership or career journey

#2 Join the free weekly Career Soul Sessions for women in tech and sustainability. A safe space to share your thoughts, and feelings on all things career.

#3 Follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram for more Career + Leadership tips to help you thrive.

Gem of the week

If you are currently searching for a job. My friend Beckie Thain-Blonk is putting on some free webinars for a step by step guide to nailing your job search, getting more interviews and sharpening your career storytelling.