PayNW Ran Without Me for 10 Weeks. That Was the Point.

This summer, I took 10 weeks off from my role as CEO of PayNW. Not 10 days or a two-week vacation with a few emails and meetings sprinkled in, but a full 10 weeks away from the business.

It was my second sabbatical. At PayNW, we offer employees the opportunity to take an extended sabbatical every eight to ten years, and I've long believed in the value of that benefit. But there's something particularly interesting about taking that much time away when you're the CEO.

For six of those weeks, I traveled across the country with my kids in our Chevy Suburban. We explored new cities, visited national parks, learned about different cultures, and spent more hours together than we have in years. I'll share more about that adventure in future posts, but one of my biggest takeaways from the summer had nothing to do with the miles we drove.

One of the most important things we can do as leaders is build organizations that don't depend on us.

The Difference Between Valuable and Indispensable

I think many leaders, myself included, fall into the trap of equating being needed with being effective. We spend years developing expertise, building relationships, and becoming the person everyone turns to when decisions need to be made. 

It feels good to be needed, but there's a difference between being valuable to an organization and being indispensable to its daily operations.

When you take a week or two off, people can often wait for you to return. Ten weeks is different. Decisions can't sit on someone's desk for two and a half months, and the people you've entrusted with leadership have to be empowered to lead.

That requires more than delegating tasks. It means giving people the authority to make decisions and accepting that they may approach a situation differently than you would.

A Decision I Didn't Have to Make

While I was away, our team was preparing to launch a new software solution. Beta testing was scheduled for August, with a planned go-live of October 1. As testing progressed, it became clear that things weren't going as expected.

Rather than forcing it through simply to meet the deadline or waiting for me to return, the team made the decision to push the go-live date to allow for additional testing.

And here's the interesting part: If I'd been in the room, I probably would have pushed to keep the original launch date. Not because I wouldn't have listened to the concerns, but because I know myself. I'm wired to find a way forward, solve the problem, and keep things moving.

Without me in the room, the team had the space to evaluate the situation, trust their judgment, and make the decision they believed was best for the business.

That's the kind of leadership I want to develop. Not people who make the same decisions I would make, but people who have the confidence to make thoughtful decisions without needing me to weigh in.

What Stepping Away Reveals

An extended absence creates opportunities for other people to exercise their judgment, stretch their capabilities, and build confidence. It also exposes weaknesses in how an organization operates.

If everything comes to a standstill when one person leaves, that's not proof of how important that person is. It's evidence that the organization has become too dependent on them.

I recognize that taking 10 weeks away isn't realistic for everyone, but I think the lessons apply whether you're leading a company, managing a department, or developing your first team.

Consider what would happen if you stepped away for a month.

Would your team have the authority and confidence to keep moving forward? Would decisions continue to be made? Or would people spend that month waiting for you to come back?

If that question makes you uncomfortable, it may reveal where you have more work to do as a leader.

Taking 10 weeks away didn't happen by accident. It required intentional preparation, thoughtful delegation, and a willingness to trust the people around me.

Next time, I'll share the five things we did to prepare PayNW for my 10-week absence, and the one thing I wish we'd done differently.

Gratefully,