I Took a 2-Week Vacation. Turns Out, My Team Didn’t Miss Me.
Sometimes the best gift you can give your team is to step back, trust them, and let them shine.
As leaders, we often find ourselves caught in the whirlwind of our job’s daily demands: constantly responding to emails, attending meetings, overseeing operations, and making decisions.
With all that “busy-ness,” we manage to convince ourselves that our presence is required for the smooth functioning of our teams and projects.
“If I miss responding to an email, or do not attend a meeting, it will derail the project.” - a typical manager
But what happens when you step away? What happens if you don’t respond to that urgent email or give that high-profile meeting a miss?
Recently, I took a two-week vacation and (almost - I’ll explain later) completely disconnected from work emails and calls.
When I returned, guess what: my team hadn’t missed me.
Let me explain.
Going on Vacation
Before diving into the lessons learned, let me set the stage. I’ve been leading a team of software professionals for several years now, including managers, senior technical leaders, and their extended teams. We’ve worked hard to build a culture of trust, belonging, and open communication.
Despite this, I’d always felt a nagging worry about stepping away for an extended period.
What if something went wrong? What if critical decisions were delayed?
These concerns had previously led me to check in regularly during vacations, never fully disconnecting.
I would steal a glance or two at my email while waiting in line at the Disneyland queue or respond to a Slack message while waiting for our food to be served at a restaurant. Sound familiar?
This time was different.
I made a conscious decision to completely unplug for two full weeks.
No email checks, no quick calls.
Nothing.
I informed my team well in advance, ensured all ongoing projects had clear directions, and then… (oh my) I left…
The Return
Coming back to the office after two weeks of radio silence, it was difficult for me to pick up my laptop to check my email. I braced myself for an avalanche of emails with issues, delayed decisions, and a ton of things I needed to follow up on.
Guess what: to my utter surprise (with a mix of relief and amazement), I found none of that.
Instead, I was greeted by a team that had not just maintained the status quo but had thrived in my absence. Projects were on track, decisions had been made confidently, and any issues that had arisen were handled efficiently.
Even though I had shared my phone number so they could reach me during emergencies, nobody called.
The team promptly took care of the customer escalations and production issues that came up during the time and even conducted a blameless postmortem (which I was quite impressed with).
Frankly, I wasn’t sure if I should smile, panic, or just sit down and process it.
The Lessons
I eventually came to terms with what had happened and was nothing but proud (and a bit emotional, I must admit) of my team.
As I started thinking about this from a leadership context, several profound realizations emerged in my head:
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Lesson #1: Trust is the Foundation of Effective Leadership
The smooth operation of the team in my absence highlighted the importance of trust.
By stepping back, I had given my team the ultimate vote of confidence. This trust was well deserved, and they rose to the occasion magnificently.
They felt empowered to make the decisions they did and to respond to the escalations the way they did.
Takeaway: Building a foundation of trust is crucial. When team members feel trusted, they’re more likely to take initiative, make decisions, and handle challenges independently.
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Lesson #2: Empowerment Leads to Growth
My absence created a space that allowed team members to step up and take on more responsibility.
They made decisions they might have previously deferred to me if I were around or available. They stepped up and solved the problems that presented themselves in a thoughtful and creative manner.
Takeaway: Regularly stepping back (even when not on vacation) can create opportunities for team members to grow and develop their skills.
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Lesson #3: Clear Processes Matter More Than Constant Oversight
The fact that operations continued smoothly was a testament to the fact that we had strong processes in place.
The decision-making processes, clear lines of ownership and accountability, and the engineering processes and systems — all functioned smoothly and guided the team’s actions and decisions in my absence.
Takeaway: Invest time in developing clear, robust processes and systems. They’re the backbone that supports your team and make your operations smoother and more efficient.
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Lesson #4: Overinvolvement Isn’t Always Necessary
I realized that my constant availability, quick responses, and frequent check-ins might have been more about my own need for control than actual necessity.
During my absence, the team proved they could handle day-to-day operations and even significant decisions without constant communication or involvement from me.
Takeaway: Trust your team to come to you when they truly need input. Constant availability can sometimes hinder rather than help. Only get involved where truely necessary.
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Lesson #5: A Leader’s True Value Isn’t in Daily Operations
Seeing the team function so well in my absence made me reflect on where I add the most value as a leader.
It’s not in the day-to-day decision-making or problem-solving.
The place I should be spending my time most is in the strategic aspect of my role — setting the vision, developing talent, and creating opportunities for my team to grow and develop.
Takeaway: Focus your energy on high-level strategy and team development rather than getting bogged down in daily operations. Your team can handle those better than you can.
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Lesson #6: Delegating Isn’t Just About Tasks, It’s About Authority
Many managers believe that delegation is about assigning tasks to your team members. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
This experience demonstrated the importance of delegating authority, not just the tasks. By being unavailable, I had unintentionally given my team the authority to make decisions — and they handled it admirably.
If you only delegate tasks, you are giving them a budget to spend while keeping the purse strings tight and expecting them to come to you for every spend.
Takeaway: Effective delegation involves transferring not just tasks, but the authority to make decisions related to those tasks.
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Lesson #7: A Well-Prepared Team is a Resilient Team
The smooth operation during my absence was a testament to the team’s capability, skills, and drive.
It told me that all the years of effort we had spent on training, building domain knowledge, and the skills specific to their roles had paid off.
Takeaway: Invest heavily in preparing your team and equipping them with the right resources to get their job done. The more knowledgeable and capable they are, the more resilient your organization becomes.
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Lesson #8: Sometimes, Stepping Back Allows Others to Step Up
My absence created opportunities for team members to step up and showcase their leadership skills and their initiative, which may otherwise have gone unnoticed.
Those who proactively rose to the occasion and took on the challenge showed great potential in taking on leadership roles.
Takeaway: Periodically create opportunities for team members to lead, even when you’re not on vacation. It can reveal hidden talents and future leaders, and automatically build up your leadership pipeline.
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Lesson #9: The Importance of Work-Life Balance
The fact that the world didn’t fall apart while I was on vacation reinforced the importance of work-life balance.
In all honesty, I have never enjoyed and really “experienced” a vacation like I did this time around. I was able to be with my family both physically and mentally, which helped me to relax and rejuvenate.
Takeaway: Model good work-life balance practices. It benefits you, sets a positive example for your team, and keeps your team members at their best levels of performance.
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Lesson #10: Leadership is About Creating Other Leaders
Perhaps the most profound realization was that true leadership isn’t about making yourself indispensable.
It’s about developing a team that can function effectively, with or without you.
In fact, the best leaders are always in pursuit of making themselves redundant. That is the holy grail of leadership.
Takeaway: Your success as a leader should be measured by how well your team performs in your absence.
Conclusion
As leaders, we often fall into the trap of thinking that we constantly need to be connected, even when on vacation.
Trust is the foundation for building a great team that can perform at their best. But when we don’t switch off, we unintentionally signal to our team that we don’t trust them.
When we step back, we give the team the space to lead, to innovate, and to grow.
As a leader, sometimes the best gift you can give your team is to step back, trust them, and let them shine.
What was your biggest takeaway from your most recent vacation? Share your story in the comments! 👇
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I’ve always thought that the reaching that moment when you can step away for a while and everything runs smoothly, when you make yourself not needed anymore is the true bar to achieve that tells you you’ve done your job well.
Discovering that your team coped well means you're a good leader.
Managers that don't trust their teams are locked in the mindset that 'no one is as good as me because I'm a senior manager/on the C-suite'. In reality, your team are talented individuals that are one or two steps behind where you are, so should be able to deal with most issues.
Especially if you have coached and trained them.