Finding Joy in Leadership During Challenging Times
The effects of these past few years still linger in our bodies, our communities, and the way we show up for each other. While COVID may no longer dominate headlines, the pending inauguration is re-traumatizing for many. Every conversation I have with leaders reflects their exhaustion, their uncertainty, and most notably, in how they've lost touch with the joy that once drove their leadership.
A leader recently shared something that struck me deeply: "I used to love what I did. Now I just survive it." It's a small admission, sure, but it speaks to something bigger: how easily we can lose our connection to purpose and pleasure in our work when facing sustained challenges.
I get it. When everything feels heavy, it's easy to fall into the trap of treating leadership as pure obligation. We put our heads down, push through, and tell ourselves that joy is a luxury we can't afford right now. But here's what I've learned about sustainable leadership: pleasure isn't optional—it's essential.
Let me be clear: I'm not talking about team happy hours, workplace perks, or finding balance through activities outside of work. While those have their place, I'm pointing to something more fundamental: the natural energy and engagement that exists within leadership itself. Like Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's concept of 'flow,' it's about discovering those moments where challenge meets skill and time seems to stop—right in the middle of strategic thinking, problem-solving, or guiding your team through complexity.
This is deeply personal work. You can't outsource joy or mandate engagement. You can't make meetings more "fun" or force enthusiasm in others. Instead, this is about your internal relationship with leadership—how you engage with what's already present in your role. It's about creating space to notice where energy naturally emerges and giving yourself permission to lean into those moments.
Some pathways to explore:
Notice what captures your full attention. Which strategic challenges light up your thinking? When do you lose track of time in deep work? These moments of natural engagement are signposts to sustainable leadership energy.
Welcome the unexpected. Sometimes flow appears in surprising places—in solving a complex problem, in a moment of clarity during chaos, or in seeing a team member grasp a difficult concept.
Create space for possibility. Where do your skills, challenges, and genuine interests intersect? Rather than forcing engagement, allow yourself to discover where it already exists.
Release rigid expectations. Often, we block our natural engagement by holding too tightly to how things "should" be. What if you could approach leadership with genuine curiosity instead?
The truth is, finding pleasure in leadership isn't about making work more entertaining—it's about discovering the natural energy that exists within meaningful challenge. When we lead from this place of genuine engagement rather than obligation, our impact naturally expands. Our strategic thinking deepens. Our resilience grows.
This isn't about pushing harder or doing more. It's about reconnecting with the inherent satisfaction in bringing your full capabilities to complex challenges. Because in times of sustained pressure and change, we need leaders who can tap into their natural wellspring of engagement and purpose.
What moments in your leadership naturally energize you? Where do you find flow in the work itself? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
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*This post is part of our series exploring the 7P Framework for Leadership Transformation: Perspective, Presence, Pleasure, People, Performance, Possibility, and Power. Learn more about the Comeback Leadership Series at https://learn.developmentwithoutlimits.org/course/comeback .*
