One of the most overlooked responsibilities in finance leadership is creating an environment where everyone, including you, can take time off without guilt and without disruption.
In accounting, we know the calendar runs the show. For most, the first 4 days of the month are reserved month-end close. That’s why I typically take PTO during the final 3 weeks of the month. But I don’t do this lightly, I do it because we’ve earned it by building the right infrastructure.
That means:
Clear ownership and cross-training
Documented processes that don’t live in a single person’s head
Established thresholds and red flag triggers so the team knows when to escalate (and when not to)
And a culture where systems, not people, absorb the pressure
From Accounting Chaos to Calm
I’ve seen teams stuck in reactive, high-stress cycles, where vacation feels impossible and burnout becomes the norm.
The way out is philosophical and practical:
Get organized. Know what’s critical, and what’s noise.
Document everything. Treat knowledge as an asset, not a dependency.
Identify failure points. If you’re always the safety net, the process is broken.
Implement red flag indicators. Don’t wait for fire drills, design smarter early warnings such as clearing accounts that require daily reconciliation.
Build a process that survives without you. That’s true operational maturity.
Taking time off should be a sign that the system is working, not falling apart.
Even if it does fall apart, you now know what needs fortification.
Finance leaders: your team is watching. If you never unplug, they’ll never believe they can either. Build it right and then go enjoy that vacation!
Photo Taken: Cabo San Lucas - 4th of July Week
Apparently they have camels!
First published on LinkedIn.