RR: The Upside (of Downtime)

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Through riding tandem, she says, she's "learned to trust people at a completely different level." She now knows the difference between executive coach and executive nag. Having once monitored her clients "obsessively," calling them weekly just to see "how things were going," Ludeman today checks in only monthly. The change, she says, was evolutionary; her comfort in easing up on client communication paralleled her increased trust as a backseat biker.

Aside from biking, Ludeman maintains balance in her life by getting a Shiatsu treatment once a week, practicing Pilates twice a week, and meditating daily before work. The frequent escapes, she says, are important because they give her "a real grounding. You're immediately in the present tense of whatever you're doing, whereas so much of executive work is looking at future-time consequences."

Another CEO who's made an art of the regular escape, albeit in an entirely different way, is Paula Phelan, owner of Nadel Phelan, a $6-million, 20-employee marketing and public-relations firm in Scotts Valley, Calif. Instead of leaving her office for recreation, Phelan brings her avocation -- taking photographs -- with her when she travels for business.

Recently, as Phelan left a meeting with analysts at IDC, a high-tech-research firm in Framingham, Mass., she noticed some Echinacea flowers outside the building. She took out her digital camera, snapped several shots, and sent the best ones as a thank-you note to the analysts she'd just met with.

"The photos really left a lasting impression," says IDC senior research analyst Chris Chute. "They made us feel appreciated."

The spontaneous shooting allows Phelan to "have a little bit of joy in every day," she says. The photos have improved her business relationships as well. She uses them as everything from marketing tools to follow-up materials to rapport builders. Phelan likens her photos to "a big business card" that helps differentiate her brand. It helps, of course, that the photographs are "artistic, not just run-of-the-mill," says IDC's Chute.

This past spring Phelan's hobby took a surprising turn. Phelan's colleagues and business acquaintances had often asked whether her work was shown in galleries. Encouraged by such queries, she approached galleries in New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, and Amherst, Mass. All agreed to display her photographs. Her first exhibit, in April at New York's Jadite Galleries, was called "The Magnificence of Flowers." Chute and Phelan's other clients were among the first to receive invitations.

Ilan Mochari is a staff writer at Inc.

What's in It for Me?

Sure, taking time off from work is fun, but according to executive coach Kate Ludeman, the benefits a CEO can actually get from leisure activities are equally rewarding. They include --

Finding yourself. "Most CEOs have a lot of roles to play. They put on certain faces for this or that group in order to get someone to do something," explains Ludeman. "In most out-of-the-office activities, though, you get to be yourself. There's a level of freedom of expression and emotional relief that comes from that."

Relieving stress. Sometimes the only way to escape office worries is to escape from the office. It's a lot easier to ignore the call of duty if you're in the middle of, say, a painting class.

Enhancing your creativity. The most creative thoughts often come when you're occupied with something else. "You move away from your to-do list and toward a much more open space where intuition operates," says Ludeman.

Starting fresh. You expect your employees to turn on a dime and quickly learn new skills. Now you can learn how it feels to expand your own horizons by becoming a beginner once again.

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