Burnout is not a badge of honor…and it’s not a prerequisite for good leadership.
One of the best decisions I made in 2025 was taking an Organizational Behavior class this summer. I was already a fan of the professor, and I was especially intrigued by the course focus: the critical role employee wellbeing plays in building healthy, thriving organizational cultures. The class more than lived up to my expectations.
One lesson stood out above the rest.
On airplanes, safety briefings always remind passengers to put on their own oxygen mask first before helping others including children. The class offered a similar principle for leadership: you cannot effectively lead others if you are burned out yourself.
In other words, leaders must take care of themselves first.
That idea stuck with me, especially the emphasis on doing things that genuinely bring joy.
A couple of realizations followed.
First, I love dogs even though I’ve never owned one. Between work, school, and life, I’m simply too busy to have a dog right now. Still, I wanted a way to get my “dog fix.”
Second, earlier this year during March’s Reading Month, I read The Seven Silly Eaters to preschoolers. It was easily one of the highlights of my year. I wanted more moments like that. Time spent with kids, reading, and connecting.
It turned out I could meet both goals at once.
I started volunteering with the Friends of Detroit Animal Care and Control (FoDACC), where I walk sheltered dogs around the property. FoDACC also partners with the Detroit Public Library on a program called Storytime with Shelter Dogs, where a shelter dog joins children at the library as a book is read aloud.
Recently, I participated in my first Storytime and brought a dog named Vinda to the library. I didn’t read the book (that honor went to the librarian) but being surrounded by kids and dogs was its own reward.
It made me smile. It improved my overall sense of wellbeing. And it reminded me that leadership doesn’t only happen in offices or meetings.
Leadership isn’t about running yourself into the ground for others.
Sometimes it’s about taking care of yourself well enough that you can actually show up for real.
For me, that looks like little readers, kind dogs, and choosing joy on purpose.