A client looked at me across Zoom recently, and said, “I just don’t want to get forgotten while I’m gone.”
She was five months pregnant—organized, working all hours. She’d been chasing a promotion all year and wanted to prove she was ready before stepping away. So she pushed harder: wrapping every project, mentoring her backup, rewriting SOPs.
The harder she pushed, the less room there was to breathe… or even wonder what might matter after the baby came. One day she said, almost whispering:
“What if I don’t even want this when I get back?”
That’s when it was clear we had to stop talking checklists and start talking about space.
In this episode, you’ll get a simple approach to design your last 90 days before mat leave so you and your team are ready—without you working straight through to labor.
The Real Problem: When Preparation Turns into Overdrive
Let’s talk about that pressure‑cooker window before you step away. If you’re anything like my clients, you want everything running smoothly before you go: no loose ends, no guessing games. You’re wired to anticipate breakdowns before they happen.
But when a major transition is coming—like maternity leave—that instinct can slide into overdrive. And under it all, there’s often this quiet voice saying: If I slow down, will people think I’ve checked out?
That fear fuels the late nights, multitasking, and a sense that you have to earn your right to step away. It makes sense. You’ve probably spent years building credibility by being reliable. So stepping back can feel like a big risk.
For my client, that looked like trying to manage every detail, every decision, every outcome. But here’s what we uncovered: her problem wasn’t time. It was trying to control a chapter that was about to play by new rules.
The “Short List” Strategy: What to Focus on Before Leave
So, we created something simple: a “short list.” Just three to five things that truly had to be done before she left. Not ten. Not twenty. Three to five.
We named the rest “later” or “never.”
- “Later” held what could wait.
- “Never” was the sneaky pile of things that didn’t actually need to happen.
The relief was instant. Her shoulders dropped. Her energy eased. She finally knew what mattered. It became easier to cut through the clutter. She started closing the laptop earlier, trusting the process more. And that trust became contagious.
How Clearer Priorities Build Stronger Teams
Here’s what surprised her: narrowing the focus didn’t just free her—it energized her team. Clarity is a gift. When you stop trying to carry everything, you make room for others to step forward. People are more willing to step up when they know what’s most important.
If you’re mapping out your own runway right now, try folding this into your weeks: every Friday, look at your short list and remove one thing. Delegate it or just cross it off. Don’t let that list grow—refine it down.
And when someone hands you a new idea or project mid‑countdown, try saying this:
“That’s important. Let’s revisit it after I return.”
Simple. Firm. Professional. It signals accountability, not avoidance.
Zooming out for a second—it’s the same principle you use in system design: cut unnecessary inputs, tighten feedback loops, and choose sustainability over control. Your leadership is a system too, and this is how it learns to breathe.
You don’t have to run every play until the final minute. You do need to know how to let go cleanly enough for others to take over when you’re away.
So, if you’re getting ready for your own version of leave, try this: Write your short list this week—three to five things that really matter before you go. Then cross off one. And ask yourself: What if your measure of readiness wasn’t how much you wrap up, but how clearly your team can carry on without you?
If you want more on the practical side of maternity leave as an ops exec, head to Episode 59 at YourFutureRealized.com/59. Or, if you want to dig into the over‑responsibility that keeps ops leaders stuck in “I’ll just handle it” mode, listen to Episode 91, “The Most Dangerous Habit in Operations Leadership,” at YourFutureRealized.com/91.
Remember, you can’t stop the chaos, but you can change the game — and I’m always in your corner.