Off Days
Every senior leader knows the weight of waking up on an “off” day and still carrying the responsibility of others.
The question is not whether those days will come, but how we will lead when they do.
Illness, fatigue, emotional heaviness, or spiritual dryness can cloud even the strongest leader’s judgment. Yet these very moments often reveal the depth of our character more clearly than our best days.
We prefer to lead from a place of strength. But anyone who has carried the mantle of leadership for any length of time understands the simple reality: Our bodies falter, our minds misfire, and our hearts grow heavy at times. Spiritual vitality ebbs and flows.
Even seasoned leaders do not escape the vulnerabilities of being human.
Those vulnerable days matter. They shape us. They test us. And, if navigated well, they strengthen us as a leader.
Here are a few practices that may help purpose driven leaders steward their “off” days wisely.
Be Mindful of Others
There is a difference between being present and being wise. If you are contagious, stay away. If your presence is necessary, take every reasonable step to protect those you serve.
Great leaders do not simply power through. They also consider the cost to others.
This is a quiet form of service. When you make the choice to limit your contact or adjust your routine for the sake of the team, you model humility and care.
Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. – Philippians 2:4 NIV
Communicate Honestly
Transparent leadership is not weak leadership.
A simple, candid message sets the tone: “I am not at one hundred percent today. I may be a little slower or shorter than usual. I may ask you to lean in a little more.”
Your team does not expect perfection. They appreciate clarity.
This kind of honest communication protects your people from interpreting your reduced capacity as frustration, disengagement, or disapproval. It also invites shared responsibility, which strengthens trust.
Rest with Intention
There are seasons when a leader, for legitimate reasons, chooses to push through.
But the body is not a machine. The mind is not a bottomless well. Emotional, physical, and spiritual systems require rest to recover.
Rest is not indulgence. It is stewardship.
Rarely does pushing harder solve the problem. More often, rest shortens the valley and accelerates the return to clarity, strength, and emotional equilibrium.
Wise leaders know when to give themselves permission to pause.
Rely on Your Leaders
If you never lean on your team, they never learn to lead.
“Off” days present an unexpected opportunity to develop others.
Hand off decisions. Ask for extra support. Give them ownership where appropriate.
Delegation in these moments is not abdication. It is investment. It signals trust. It stretches your leaders in healthy ways. And it ensures the organization continues moving with steady rhythm despite your temporary slowdown.
Remember that Leadership is a Long Game
Nobody leads perfectly across every day. It is not required.
What is required is wisdom. Self-awareness. Humility. And a willingness to honor the limitations of the human experience.
“Off” days are not threats to your leadership. They are invitations to lead from a different place. Not from your strength, but from your honesty. Not from your momentum, but from your maturity. Not from your energy, but from your grounding in purpose and service.
And sometimes, those days reveal more about your leadership than your brightest, strongest, most productive days ever could.
Here’s to your health…
Blessings to you, my friends!
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This Week’s Resource Recommendation:
"Rethinking Rest: 4 Strategies To Sustain Peak Leadership Performance"
- Carey Nieuwhof Podcast Episode 652
In this insightful episode, Carey Nieuwhof reframes the way leaders think about energy, pace, and long-term effectiveness. Drawing from years of research and his own experience with burnout, Carey reveals why traditional approaches to rest fail and what senior leaders must do to sustain clarity, resilience, and emotional steadiness in a demanding world.
Through four practical, science-informed strategies, Carey helps leaders:
Treat rest as a prerequisite, not a reward, showing why depleted leaders make poorer decisions and how replenishment fuels sharper judgment and healthier relationships.
Build rhythms of strategic slowing, weaving micro-rests, silence, reflection, and purposeful pauses into daily routines to combat chronic overload.
Match their input to their output, highlighting how spiritual renewal, meaningful relationships, and intentional learning elevate a leader’s stamina and emotional grounding.
Design sustainable patterns of work and recovery, ensuring that leadership effectiveness is not left to chance or crisis.
Blending honest self-reflection with highly actionable tools, this episode offers a fresh, compelling vision for leaders who want to perform at their best on their healthiest days and maintain steadiness on their hardest days. Rethinking Rest equips purpose driven leaders with a framework for longevity, clarity, and a more life-giving pace of leadership.
If your leadership battery feels low, foggy, or stretched thin, this conversation provides the reset you need.
MMS 25-47
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