Culture Secrets
Culture is what causes things to happen inside an organization - both good and bad. It's the heart and guts of a company and it is what determines is they are successful or not. Join interntional best-selling author, speaker and culture expert Chellie Phillips as she delves into what makes people-centered cultures in the workplace unique. She packs each episode with ideas, strategies and real-world learning to help you build workplaces where both employees and companies thrive.
Culture Secrets
Episode 21: The Recharge Ripple Effect: Leading by Example Without Burning Out
Leaders set the tone—whether they realize it or not.
In this episode of Culture Secrets, Chellie Phillips explores the hidden leadership power of rest and renewal. When leaders are constantly overworked, overstretched, and overwhelmed, it sends a powerful message to their teams: burnout is the norm.
But what if we flipped that script?
You'll learn:
- Why intentional rest is a leadership strategy, not a luxury
- How modeling healthy habits can improve team morale and retention
- Signs you're leading from burnout instead of balance
- Small shifts you can make today to create a culture of sustainability
Want to keep your team energized, engaged, and motivated?
Start by recharging yourself first.
🎧 Tune in now and discover how to model leadership that lasts.
Thanks for listening. Grab the book the podcast is based on at https://mybook.to/culturesecrets . Check out my website www.chelliephillips.com for more great content. Follow me on LinkedIn.
Bye.
SPEAKER_00:If workplace culture is your jam, you're in the right place. Check out this episode of Culture Secrets, the podcast dedicated to creating workplaces where both employees and the companies thrive. Hey, everyone, and welcome back to Culture Secrets. I'm your host, Shelley Phillips. And if you're a leader, business owner, or someone passionate about workplace culture, this show's for you. In today's episode, we're tackling a topic that doesn't get nearly enough attention, how leaders can recharge and why it's not just a Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So today we're talking about how you, as a leader, can build recharge time into your daily, quarterly, and annual routines to show up as your best self, not just for you, but for your team. And to make this even more practical, we'll explore some real-world examples of companies that are doing this well. So let's be real. Somewhere along the way, we started glorifying burnout as a badge of honor. This always-on leader, the one who always emails at midnight, who powers through exhaustion like a superhero. But here's the thing. That's not leadership. It's self-destruction. And the worst part, it trickles down. Everyone watches what their leaders do, not just what they say. So if you're constantly in crisis mode, never pausing to breathe, guess what? Your team is going to feel that way too. So let's break this down into three simple ways leaders can intentionally recharge and how that impacts workplace culture. Let's start with a daily recharge. Leadership isn't just a about making big decisions. It's about showing up every single day with clarity, energy, and focus. But when you're constantly in a problem-solving mode, you're operating on reaction and not intention. That's why great builders build in small daily habits that reset their energy and mindset. So what does this look like in practice? First, start the day with intention. Maybe a short walk, meditation, journaling, whatever works for you. Take real breaks between me Find a personal hobby that has nothing to do with work. And finally, think about setting real phone boundaries, like not checking email first thing in the morning or before bed. A culture killer is a leader who is always on that sends the message that rest equals weakness. This leads to employee burnout, disengagement, and resentment. The culture builder is the leader who models work-life balance, shows their team that well-being is a priority, and creating a more inclusive, And my leadership tip on this is The best leaders build in quarterly reflection time. They step away from the daily grind to assess what's working and what's not. They ask themselves big questions about their leadership and company culture. They seek feedback from employees and mentors with outside perspectives. I once worked with a company that introduced quarterly leadership retreats. It's where executives unplugged for a full day to reflect, recalibrate, and strategize. And guess what? The impact was massive. More clarity into So what's the culture killer? And here's your leadership tip on this one. Block off one day per quarter So here's the bottom line. Culture isn't built from policies or slogans. It's built from behavior. Employees take their cues from leadership. When leaders prioritize their well-being and growth, it sends a clear message. Your energy and mental health matter. It's okay to take breaks and recharge. And self-care isn't selfish. It's essential for long-term success. When leaders neglect themselves, they're not selfish. Employees feel they have to do the same. That's how you end up with a workplace full of exhausted, disengaged people. So here's your leadership tip. Your team will mimic your behavior. When you prioritize yourself, you create a culture where everyone feels valued without guilt. So how do you build time into your leadership calendar? So let's get real practical about this. You can't just hope that you'll have time to recharge. You have to schedule it. It's just like any other business priority. So for a daily recharge, think about adding 10 to 15 minutes in the morning for intention setting. Add a small diversion daily. Get up and walk around the parking lot. Walk around the office. Take time for some reading, some journaling, or meditation. And then unplug at least an hour before bed. Give your brain time to settle. Get into that rest mode and fully recharge for the next day. Now quarterly reflection. Think about adding one full day per quarter for you to step away and assess your leadership approach ask yourself what's working or what needs to change and seek honest feedback from your team and your leadership peers and finally that annual reset think of it as a larger personal retreat whether it's a long weekend away or a couple of days during the week reflect on your growth and set leadership goals for the next year By introducing a mandatory quarterly personal development day, it could be a game changer. Think if leaders had to take time off for self-growth, reading, or leadership training. The result? A huge shift in mindset or engagement. So here's my challenge for you. Start treating self-care as a leadership strategy and not a luxury. Remember that a burned out leader can't build a thriving culture. Be the example. When you prioritize yourself, your team will feel empowered to do the same. If you're ready to build a culture where people, including yourself, can thrive, be sure to check out my book, Culture Secrets, and turn in for more episodes of Culture Secrets Podcast. And if today's episode spoke to you, do me a favor. Share it with a fellow leader who Until next time, remember, a thriving workplace starts with thriving leadership.
