You Don’t Need to Quit, You Just Need Help

Whether it’s a pro or a con, I’m skilled in sarcasm. 🤷‍♀️ I employ it lovingly and delight in others’ clever use. That said, professional meetings are NOT an appropriate venue for sarcasm. I KNOW THIS.

Still, toward the end of my decade leading in a high-risk, highly sensitive role, I noticed myself slipping. Snark crept into meetings where colleagues needed my steadiness and thoughtful expertise. 🫢 That wasn’t who I wanted to be in that space and it threw me.

My reaction? It’s time to go. I gave my notice within days.

Looking back, I can see that my sarcastic lapses weren't the actual problem; the problem was overextension and burnout. I didn’t need to leave; I needed help. I needed more bandwidth for strategy, vision, and creativity so our systems could run smoothly and my team could do their work well.

This is one of the reasons I do the work I do now. Too many great leaders (especially women!) burn out and walk away, when the real issue isn’t *them* but the impossible load they’ve been handed.

If you’re feeling this, you’re definitely not alone. If you need extra bandwidth to think through and build the kind of systems and support that keep leaders and their organizations thriving, that’s exactly what I help with, and I would love to hear your story. 💫

Image Credit: Liz Fosselien (she has tons of amazing illustrations, check her out)