Why Every Leader Needs A Hobby

With so much of our day spent dealing with the problems that arise from leading others, it is easy to think you don’t have time for a hobby. It’s a fallacy many leaders fall into. Failing to have a hobby is also one of the reasons many leaders stumble and face burnout.

I was reminded of this as I listened to Adam Grant’s new book Power Moves. In it, one of the Davos attendees he talks to David Solomon, the CEO of Goldman Sachs.

Person fishing in a lake with a silver and black fishing pole

Photo by Alan BishopDavid Solomon isn’t the straight-laced CEO you might think of when you think of Goldman Sachs. Outside of work, David spends his free time on his hobby: DJing at clubs and events. He goes by the name of DJ D-Sol and rocks clubs all around the world.

He found an outlet for the stress of his job. Using his hobby of DJing, he is able to relax and decompress to avoid burnout.

Leaders Can Have Fun Too

Being Taken Seriously

Woot! Woot! It’s party time. Or is it? Is there ever a time for a leader to let down his guard and have fun with his team?

My answer is a resounding yes. Leaders can (and should) have fun.

Three men jumping off a snow-covered ground

Photo by Zachary Nelson

There’s multiple reasons why leaders should have fun. Some of the reasons are:

  • Having fun as a leader helps you connect with your team. Team members can struggle to feel connected to a leader who doesn’t show a fun side. They will see them as unapproachable and uptight. Break this idea and have some fun.
  • Having fun as a leader helps relieve your stress: Leading is stressful. There are deadlines, people to manage, and people to let go. This is draining on a leader. But, by stepping out of the seriousness bubble, a leader can recover from the trials of leadership.

Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Netflix’s Point Blank

A Reel Leadership Article

Point Blank is a Netflix original movie that recently was released on the streaming service. The movie tells the story of Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson in The Avengers movies) as Paul the nurse and Frank Grillo as the criminal Abe.

What you get in Point Blank is an awkward buddy movie where the two stars battle against criminals and corrupt cops. It could be a fun summer movie but, somehow, Point Blank shoots blanks in this original movie.

That’s not to say you won’t walk away with Reel Leadership lessons from Point Blank. That’s not the case. You will find plenty of leadership lessons. What you won’t find is a great movie.

I was okay with that as it was a semi-enjoyable movie. But enough with the quality of Point Blank. It’s time to discuss the leadership lessons in the movie.

Quotes And Leadership Lessons From How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

A Reel Leadership Article

Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), Astrid (America Ferrera), Snotlout (Jonah Hill), Tuffnut (Justin Ripple), Ruffnut (Kristen Wiig), and the rest of the How To Train Your Dragon return in the third outing for How To Train Your Dragon. This time, they’re fighting for themselves and the fate of the dragons they’ve come to love.

Hiccup and Toothless from How To Train Your Dragon 3 engulfed in flames

Hiccup and Toothless from How To Train Your Dragon

When a new threat, Grimmel (F. Murray Abraham), threatens to capture or kill all of the dragons, including Hiccup’s beloved Toothless, the gang from Berk have to fight back. After fleeing their home, they take a stand. What happens next is a tear-jerking ride.

Today, we’re going to take a look at the leadership lessons in How To Train Your Dragon 3. There were plenty of leadership lessons you can find in this movie. I’ll discuss the lessons I saw and then ask you to share the leadership lessons you discovered.

Why Relationships Should Matter To Leaders

Relationships Matter

There’s an old axiom in leadership. It goes something like this: Leadership is lonely. Leadership is isolated. And you have to lead through it.

I’ve never liked this axiom. It’s created a lot of heartache and trouble for those leading people. And you’ve got to break the cycle of making leadership lonely.

Relationships matter, even to leader

Leadership doesn’t have to be lonely. Leadership can provide deep, meaningful relationships to those you lead and, more importantly, to you.

How Leaders Feel About Relationships

Through my time in varying leadership positions, I’ve heard from different leaders and their views about relationships. Their ideas go from relationships are crucial to the success of a leader to being unimportant.

You may believe peer relationships take too much time or they don’t offer much value. They’re not helping you make money or increase the productivity of your team.