Why Leaders Need an Off Switch
A client once told me, “Marc, I don’t work from home — I live at work.” And he wasn’t joking.
He’d shut his laptop at 6:30 p.m., walk into the kitchen, and still be mid-conversation in his head with a supplier. His wife would ask about his day, and he’d nod without hearing the question. Physically present. Mentally… still in the office.
Sound familiar?
Here’s the thing: when you never truly “power down,” your brain runs like a laptop with 47 tabs open, slower, more distracted, and dangerously close to burnout. And it’s not just work that suffers. At home, your family gets the version of you that’s running on 12% battery.
That’s why every leader needs an off switch, a ritual that signals, “Workday over. I’m here now.”
It doesn’t have to be fancy:
- A 10-minute walk before going inside.
- Changing into comfortable clothes right away.
- Writing tomorrow’s to-do list before you leave your desk.
The goal isn’t just to rest. It’s to be fully present where it matters most. Because when you start showing up at home with the same focus you give your boardroom, something shifts; your relationships get richer, your mind gets clearer, and ironically… your work gets better too.
So, what’s your off switch going to be tonight?
P.S. If switching off feels harder than it should, you’re not alone. I help high-performing executives and entrepreneurs create simple, sustainable strategies to protect their energy and be fully present — both at work and at home. If that’s a shift you’re ready to make, let’s talk.