How to Embrace Summer with Your Family as a Busy Leader

As leaders, we're often good at managing calendars, accomplishing goals, and getting things done. We know how to lead meetings, solve problems, and handle responsibilities. But sometimes, in the middle of leading everyone else, we unintentionally neglect the people closest to us.

Summer offers a unique opportunity to slow down, reconnect, and create memories with the people we love most.

One of my greatest challenges—and maybe you can relate—is approaching summer the same way I approach the rest of the year: busy, distracted, and always thinking about what's next.

This year, I'm asking myself a different question:

What if this summer became a season where my family felt deeply seen, valued, and loved?

As I reflected on that question, I realized there are five commitments I want to make this summer. Perhaps they'll help you as well.

1. My Family Doesn't Need More of My Success—They Need More of Me

Like many leaders, I'm wired to achieve. I love setting goals. I love solving problems. I love pursuing growth and opportunities. Those are good things. But my wife and two kids don't primarily need my accomplishments.

They need my presence.

This has been an especially busy season for me. Ministry responsibilities have increased. I've been working on personal projects. I've been coaching leaders. None of those things are bad, but they can easily consume my attention. The truth is, years from now my family probably won't remember the sermon I preached, the goal I achieved, or the project I completed.

They'll remember whether I was present.
They'll remember whether I listened to their stories.
They'll remember whether they felt important to me.

I'm constantly learning that my presence is one of the greatest gifts I can give my family. Attention is often more valuable than achievement.

As summer begins, ask yourself: "How can I be fully present with my family this season?"

2. I Am Scheduling Family Time Like I Schedule Important Meetings

For years, I've caught myself saying: "I'll spend more time with my family when things slow down." The problem? Things rarely slow down. What I've learned is that healthy leaders don't find time—they make time. If family truly matters, it deserves a place on our calendars.

Schedule the vacation.
Schedule the day trip.
Schedule the date night.
Schedule the family tradition.

I don't want to leave my most important relationships to chance. This summer I'm making a commitment to bring the same intentionality to my family that I bring to my leadership.

One simple example: we've started Monday Night Milkshakes and Movies. Every Monday, we make homemade milkshakes and watch a movie together. Last week, the NBA Finals were on—a game I really wanted to watch. Instead, I sat on the couch introducing my daughters to Mrs. Doubtfire.

And honestly? I wouldn't trade that memory. Some of the best family experiences aren't elaborate vacations. They're simple moments planned on purpose.

A Saturday morning adventure.
A family game night.
An evening walk.
A spontaneous road trip.
The key isn't extravagance.

It's intentionality.

3. I Am Putting My Phone Down

One of the greatest gifts a leader can give their family is undivided attention. In today's world, it's possible to be physically present but emotionally absent. I've been guilty of this more times than I'd like to admit.

Sitting on the couch.
At the dinner table.
Watching a game.

Yet mentally somewhere else because of a notification, email, text, or social media post. The reality is that my phone can quietly steal moments I'll never get back.

The email can wait.
The text can wait.
Social media can wait.
My family cannot.

One of the spiritual practices I'm embracing this summer is creating intentional phone-free moments:

• At dinner

• During family outings

• On walks

• In the car

• During conversations

My family deserves more than the leftovers of my attention. I want to give them my best.

4. I Am Creating Memories, Not Perfection

If I'm honest, I can be a perfectionist. Even on vacation, I sometimes place unnecessary pressure on myself to create the perfect experience.

The perfect itinerary.
The perfect trip.
The perfect memory.

But when I think about my favorite family memories, they were rarely perfect. Families don't usually remember the expensive hotel.

They remember the unexpected moments. My daughters still laugh about a random restaurant we stopped at years ago that served pineapple in nearly every dish.
They remember getting lost.
They remember ice cream stops.
They remember laughing until they cried.
They remember late-night conversations.

The goal isn't perfection. The goal is connection.

Often the most meaningful memories happen when the plan falls apart. This summer I'm giving myself permission to enjoy the people around me instead of trying to engineer the perfect experience.

5. I Am Remembering What Season I'm In

This summer my oldest daughter will move from middle school to high school. That realization has hit me harder than I expected. One day you're teaching them to ride a bike. The next you're attending high school orientation. I recently realized I only have four summers left before she graduates. Four. That number got my attention. There are only so many opportunities left to create these memories together.

I don't want to wait until life slows down to enjoy my family. Because if I'm honest, life doesn't seem to slow down. It seems to speed up. The season you're in right now is a gift.

Embrace it.
Enjoy it.
Be present in it.

One day you'll look back and realize these ordinary summer moments were actually some of the most important moments of your life.

A Summer Challenge for Busy Leaders

As summer unfolds, I'm asking myself one simple question: When summer ends, what do I want my family to remember about me?

Not:

• How many emails I answered.

• How many meetings I attended.

• How productive I was.

But:

• How present I was.

• How much fun we had together.

• How loved they felt.

Because at the end of the day, healthy leadership isn't just about succeeding at work. It's about becoming the kind of person your family loves being around. This summer, let's lead well at work. But let's also lead well at home. Because no leadership success is worth losing the people who matter most.

Be a healthy leader. Stay a healthy leader. Live a full life.

If you're a leader who wants to thrive in your leadership, strengthen your relationships, and live a healthier, more balanced life, I'd love to help. Through leadership coaching and CliftonStrengths coaching, I help leaders lead well without sacrificing what matters most. Schedule a free 30-minute conversation to learn more.