Leaders often feel pressured by company culture to always be on as well as guilty for leaving their duties for a week or so to take a vacation, but author and speaker Soulaima Gourani writes that failing to take time off can undermine your team and offers strategies to take a break without falling behind. Realize that delegation is a sign of strength and an acknowledgment of trust in your team and model taking time away to offset a "hustle" culture, Gourani advises.

Put it into practice: Set boundaries around office communication while you're on vacation, perhaps checking email a couple of times a day and dealing only with what's urgent, Gourani advises. "At the end of the day, time off isn't just a perk. It's a necessity for leadership success."

Today's divisive political environment could use a dose of eunoia, a concept outlining goodwill between a speaker and their audience that dates back to Aristotle, write Jamie Woolf and Christopher Bell, founder and president of Creative Partners, respectively. "Eunoia isn't about avoiding difficult conversations or sanitizing one's views; it's about approaching contentious discussions with a mindset grounded in mutual respect and empathy," they write.

Put it into practice: The Ancient Greeks were no strangers to discord, but modeling eunoia can help leaders cultivate a culture of respect despite diverging viewpoints. "The power of this approach lies in its ability to reframe political conversations from battlegrounds into platforms for collaborative dialogue," Woolf and Bell write.

Presenters who speak English as a second language should focus on clarity and engagement during public speaking, writes Nicole Lowenbraun, an executive speaker coach, while maintaining authenticity. Key strategies include using facial expressions, speaking in short sentences and incorporating pauses for effect to ensure understanding, writes Lowenbraun, who also advises speakers to keep their unique accents.

Put it into practice: Lowenbraun also emphasizes the importance of visual aids and storytelling for public speaking. "If the audience misses what you said, but can refer back to a solid slide, that might be all they need to catch up," Lowenbraun writes.

If your daily workflow is constantly interrupted by people asking similar questions, you can follow the example of one of executive coach Scott Eblin's clients, who produced a training video and reference guide to address common concerns and questions. Begin by analyzing underlying causes of interruptions and using that to "guide you toward creating effective, lasting solutions that free you up to focus on what truly matters in your role," Eblin recommends.

Throughout the day, the human brain creates "chapters" of daily experiences based on personal priorities and attention, according to a study in Current Biology. Using audio narratives, researchers discovered that the brain organizes stories into events depending on what a person focuses on, rather than purely environmental changes.

I don't often take vacations. I prefer the routine of daily work and only enjoy time off it's structured in a fairly predictable way. I saw a meme on Facebook the other day that read: "I'm a 'go with the flow' kind of person, as long as the 'flow' has been planned at least three days in advance and has a clear agenda."

I felt that in my bones! However, as a leader, keeping your nose to the grindstone all the time may be what's right for you, but it sends a signal to those on your team that they should be that way, too. Unless your direct reports are just like you, this is a recipe for burnout for your team members who like going on vacation and spending time away from work.

Modeling a healthy level of taking time off can be vital to keeping your team sharp and productive. Even if you just take a "staycation" and are careful to actually stay away, delegating tasks and limiting your check-ins during your vacation, that can be enough to send the signal that taking time off is part of your company culture.

That being said, I did have a vacation planned for this week and the next, but Hurricane Helene had different plans. I'm staying put this week to deal with some minor property damage while my spouse enjoys the vacation with my stepson and his girlfriend. I will be taking that second week off, though, to enjoy a nice, structured staycation!

How about you? Do you have some time off coming up on your calendar? Seeing you walk away from your desk for a week or so will encourage your team to take time when they need it, too.

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