With summer just a few short weeks away I thought it might be a good time to address a very, very serious topic: fun. Fun can all too often be a dirty word in the work world. Sure we talk about fun in the workplace, but we don’t always believe it. Especially as a leader, there is always so much to be done that fun can seem like a distraction or diversion from the business at hand. But “all work and no play” does in fact make “Jack a dull boy,” and fun is critical to your success as a leader.
“Sure we talk about fun in the workplace, but we don’t always believe it.”
Fun is fundamental, if you will, and an absolutely essential component of balanced leadership. Both inside and outside of your organization or workplace, fun can act as a supplement giving you the extra energy, stamina and creativity to problem solve and inject energy into your teams. It is important to get enough Vitamin F(un) day to day, but summer should be a time when you are making sure you get plenty of extra doses.
“Fun acts like a supplement giving you the extra energy, stamina and creativity to problem solve and inject energy into your teams.”
How does fun help us as leaders? First, fun helps spur creativity, which in turn benefits every single thing we do on and off the job. Fun gives your brain time to step away from immediate problems and chug away on big ideas. Have you ever been in the middle of a great vacation and your brain just starts churning out great ideas? That’s your relaxed brain chewing on all the information you have given it and it’s nearly impossible to do when you are in a state of constant problem solving. Your brain gets to get creative and create entirely new things to think about!
“Fun gives your brain time to step away from immediate problems and chug away on big ideas.”
Second, fun allows you to recharge your batteries. This is essential as a leader because everyone in your organization draws on you as a power source. If you aren’t fully charged, giving others energy to reach your vision can be impossible at worst and inefficient at best.
“As a leader, your team draws much of their energy from you.”
And finally, there is the issue of fun and work/life balance. Sure we as leaders typically really enjoy working and feel internally rewarded by both the process and the outcome of our hard work. And yet, if we can step away and have fun, take a break, go on vacation, what are we really doing it all for? So with summer on the horizon, if you don’t have anything planned yet, plan it. If you haven’t had fun in awhile, ask yourself what you can do to get your recommended dose of Vitamin F.
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