In the lead‑up to a big leave or transition, there’s always this squeeze—too much to do, and not enough of you left to do it. I remember it clearly from my own mat leave prep. Lining everything up—meetings, processes, resources—wondering what would even matter to me four months out.
It was unthinkable. A complete mystery! But I was just trying to survive the last weeks, hoping that if I mapped it all out and got it down on paper, my return would be easy.
I was setting everyone else up—but I forgot to set myself up, too. That’s one of those leadership skills ops folks tend to learn eventually.
In this episode, you’ll get a peek into what I call future‑you work. Not the hand‑off document version, but the kind that helps your next season of leadership feel steadier and more human.
The Hidden Cost of Always Running at Full Speed
Nobody really tells you how weird it feels to plan for a version of yourself you can’t even picture yet. Whether it’s a mat leave, a sabbatical, or a big reorg, your brain is wired for urgency. It’s built to reward quick wins—‘solve this now.’ No wonder we drag our feet on future‑you planning—it’s way harder than inbox‑zero.
As an ops leader, you are responsible for systems that carry weight. And ironically, that same superpower—the thing that keeps everything afloat—makes it tough to step off the ship yourself. You just care too much to let it get wobbly.
Of course—if you only operate in crisis‑now mode, you unintentionally push the cost of your choices down the timeline. And who pays that cost? Future you. The one walking back in after your leave. The one inheriting the systems you designed under stress.
Nobody really teaches this, but every ops leader learns eventually—the trick is to design systems that support you, not just your team.
The Leadership Skill Ops Execs Learn Too Late
What if prep doesn’t just mean locking everything down, but about giving things permission to evolve without you? And when that finally landed—yeah, I had to rethink everything. Not overnight, but enough to feel different.
I stopped trying to predict every possible storm—because I couldn’t – and instead, I worked on building a rhythm. Most of my calendar stayed ‘today work’—urgent handoffs, process docs. But someone I trusted told me to carve out 30 minutes a day for future-me work. What would post-baby me need to walk back in ready to go? Which decisions would I need to mentally let go of? What would I even want to say yes to? Space to grieve the leadership I was leaving—and prep for the one coming.
How to Design “Future‑You Work” That Actually Works
Wanna try something? Block 90 minutes on your calendar—label it straight-up Future-You Work. Protect that time like it’s your most critical deliverable. Slack closed, phone down, whatever it takes to shift gears.
Use it to write down what future-you will wish you knew now.
Then have those handoff conversations that clear the mental deck. And yeah, loop in your home systems too—it’s all connected.
If thinking that far ahead feels uncomfortable—that’s kind of the point. It means you’re growing beyond what’s currently visible. Real leadership maturity? It doesn’t mean handling everything—it means trusting the person who’s coming back. And it shows up in how you treat your future self.
So here’s your reflection for today: How do you design your calendar so Future-You isn’t always paying for Present-You’s choices? Maybe that’s one lesson we don’t all need to learn the hard way.
And if it would be helpful to have a simple framework for those final 90 days before you go on leave, check out Episode 116—it’s all about creating that short list that actually works. Find it here.
Remember, you can’t stop the chaos, but you can change the game — and I’m always in your corner.