Many leaders and executives are on the road again, not as a want-to but as what is seen as a necessary part of their role and business. I am noticing this theme show up across clients. There is a fair bit of adjustment required for them and their teams.
Back to Travel
The leaders and executives may have gotten a bit more into the weeds during this time of work-from-home. Or, a pattern may have emerged where they took on more work than they would have previously. They could take on these responsibilities because they had the time with no commuting time and no business travel.
Need to Readjust for Travel
Now, they are being called or want to get out. This creates a need to readjust responsibilities, to rely on their teams more to take these on while they are away and when they are back. When they are away, they are focused on the matter at hand, building relationships, and forging new pathways for the organization. When they get back, they are getting up to speed with what’s happening, getting caught up, and following up on commitments from the meetings, conferences, and networking events.
Feeling Guilty?
Yet, many feel a bit guilty. Why? They may feel guilty that they are getting away from the day-to-day while others are still in it. They may feel badly about delegating more to their already busy or change-exhausted team. They may have a sense of responsibility to do it all for their stakeholders.
Solutions?
You may read this and ask, can’t they just go back to how they did it before? The answer in ‘not necessarily’. Things are not the same as they were before, so business travel takes on a new look. It impacts a bit differently than before because the dynamics and ways of doing things have changed.
This takes awareness and courage on the part of leaders who are travelling to find ways and have their teams collaboratively sort out how this can work optimally going forward for now. How are you leading through this new challenge and opportunity of change?
If your interested in how executive and leadership coaching may support you in this and other leadership transitions, I’d love to have a conversation. You can book a complimentary, 30-minute exploration call here:
Yours in finding new pathways,
Jamie
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