Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without words, and never stops at all.

– Emily Dickinson

Once, upon hearing a person tell me that he had worked continuously for four years with no vacation, I stopped to think about how unsuccessful that person appeared to be to me. Now, I fully realize that, to some people who enjoy their work, this might be a desired result – work all the time, because that’s what makes you feel good.

I prefer to think of life like a musical composition. It’s full of variety – tempo changes, dynamic variations, rests, fermatas, and more.

With a variety in life, the Transformational Leader is equipped to think clearly and respond to the challenges of leadership with a continuing fresh perspective.

My 4th leadership principle is “Balance.” This principle allows all the other principles to work. If we are burned out, we compromise our work. We owe it to ourselves to order our day, our week, our month, and our life.

Balance means thinking about the total self: spiritual, physical, mental, social, intellectual…and so forth. Caring for self is a priority if we want to be at our best as a leader and if we want to be fully present in the life that we create.

Caring for self is not being selfish. Caring for self is allowing us to be equipped to serve others in a more comprehensive and engaging way.`

TIP: If you plan to create variety in your life, the change of pace will empower you for challenges ahead for your leadership. Do not lag behind the curve; be prepared to lead the charge by being rested and focused.