Active Recovery Is A Leadership Skill

Nathan Steenport
Oct 13
3 min read

"You can get knocked down, and it hurts and it leaves scars. But if you're a leader, the people you've counted on will help you up. And if you're a leader, the people who count on you need you on your feet," - General Stanley McChrystal from 2011 TED Talk

Active Recovery for Runners—and Leaders

As my weekly mileage climbed (35–90 miles) and I trained for the Leadville 100 (DNF—going back next summer), I realized the hardest part isn’t the workout. It’s the recovery. The same is true in leadership. If burnout is predictable, it’s preventable—when we plan for it.

What Running Taught Me About Recovery

After Leadville, I dug into my after-action notes. Yes, I had a few in-race mistakes. But the bigger gap was active recovery during training—the daily choices that restore energy and readiness. Without it, the miles add up and everything else in life pays the price.

Leaders face the same dynamic. We want to show up strong, steady, and caring. But we’re human. When we ignore recovery, our “tired self” shows up: focus slips, reactions replace strategy, and we drift from the goals that matter most.

If It’s Predictable, It’s Preventable

In schools and districts we joke about “Shocktober” and the February slump. In business, you know your own crunch seasons. In running, after 6–8 weeks of steady build, the body gets cranky and energy dips. None of this is a surprise—so we can plan for it while the waters are calm.

Plan when you feel good:

Map your hard seasons. Name the months/weeks that historically drain you.
List what restores you. Be specific to you: sleep, a massage, one tech-free evening, a mini-vacation, faith/community time, a long walk, or simply a day on the couch.
Pre-schedule recovery. Put it on the calendar before the storm: half-days, light-meeting weeks, no-email blocks, family nights, and—yes—days with no “shoulds.”

In training, I insert a down-week every 4 weeks—a small reset that lets the next 4 weeks actually work. Leaders need down-weeks, too.

The Time vs. Choice Problem

“I don’t have time to recover.” I get it. But most of us don’t have a time problem—we have a choice problem.

At work (especially for principals):

Prioritize the vital few. Instructional leadership, coaching, and culture beat inbox zero.
Delegate deliberately. Grow others by handing off tasks that don’t require you.
Protect focus windows. Short, sacred blocks beat long, scattered days.

At home:

Choose sleep over scroll. Set a hard phone curfew.
Eat like it matters. Plan the macros that support the next day’s effort.
Refuel with people. Be present with family; that’s real recovery.

In training:

2 hard days, 4 easy days across a 6-day week. Easy days make hard days possible.
Nutrition & bedtime are workouts in disguise. Win those, and tomorrow shows up stronger.

Simple Checklist for Leaders (and Runners)

□ I’ve named my heavy seasons (Shocktober, February, etc.).
□ I have a standing down-week every 4–6 weeks.
□ My calendar shows recovery blocks I won’t trade away.
□ I’ve delegated two tasks this month and set clear owners.
□ I have a nightly “phone off” time and a target bedtime.
□ I’m fueling on purpose (not by accident).
□ I’m choosing presence over performative busyness.

The Mindset Shift

Active recovery isn’t weakness—it’s capacity building. If your school or team is meeting goals and culture is improving, that clarity didn’t come from running yourself into the ground. It came from a rested mind, steady energy, and consistent leadership.

Burnout will arrive if you ignore the early warnings. Every. Single. Time. Choose active recovery on purpose—and do it before the wheels wobble.

Our work year is a marathon, not a sprint. Train (and lead) like it. If you want support building a sustainable cadence for you and your team, let’s talk.