Leadership & Recovery

In therapy, men and women often ask me if they should remain in or begin to take on a role of leadership while in process of addiction recovery. Leadership might be in the workplace, business, community, ministry, politics, volunteer, mentorship, or even starting a support group.

You can imagine my response is most often, “it is not right or wrong what you choose to do but wise or foolish.” However, I generally respond with a resounding “Yes!” I would much rather a person who is honest, aware, and working on their issues in a place of leadership rather than a sick, unhealthy, codependent person in denial about their issues in a place of leadership.

Why is it a man or woman build a company or ministry for 20-30 years… unhealthy and sick and when they start to ask for help and come clean with their addiction(s) then the board or company lets them go or fires them? This person just built an amazing business or ministry impacting and employing thousands of lives directly or indirectly…sick. Can you imagine what they can do now that they are becoming healthy?!

However, with that said, here are some things to consider when taking on a new role of leadership:

Do stay in the place of leadership you are already in.
Do Not change positions, careers, or leadership roles for the first 6 months of recovery until things stabilize.
Do consider taking on a new or additional role of leadership only after 6 months of recovery and sobriety.
Do Not say “yes” to things you know you want to say “no” to.
Do practice saying “no” for the first 90 days to extra things personal and professional relationships are requesting of you.
Do Not feel guilty about saying “no”.
Do begin to manage your personal and professional schedule and stop letting it manage you.
Do attend 1-3 recovery meetings a week for the first 90 days.
Do Not feel guilty about missing a meeting.
Do collect names and numbers of safe people you can practice calling between meetings.
Do Not let your ego trick you that you are doing better than you really are.
Do stay humble, teachable, honest, and listen twice as much as you speak.
Do Not let anyone shame or convince you that you are unfit to lead.
Do practice recovery principles in all aspects of your life.
Do Not stop working your recovery work and program as life gets busy.
Do share about your temptations in the presence of safe people in recovery.
Do Not over share about your addiction and recovery work to people not in recovery.

Cory Schortzman Executive Director

Cory Schortzman is an author, speaker, teacher and licensed mental health professional. Since 2008, he has served as the Executive Director of Transformed Hearts Counseling Center in Colorado Springs, CO. He is the founder of SARA, the Sexual Addiction Recovery Association. Cory is passionate about helping couples and individuals overcome sex addiction. He is also passionate about bringing awareness to the public and supporting the elimination of sex and human trafficking. Cory has been married since 1998 to his beautiful wife, Kerry, and lives in Colorado with their four daughters. He and Kerry have been seen on the CBS Early Show, Inside Edition, and ABC Good Morning America, Fox 21 News, and TLC/Discovery discussing the harm of sex addiction and the joys of recovery. He has also been heard on numerous radio programs.

Cory’s books include: Out of the Darkness, Into the Light the Workbook, Into the Light the Steps, Ashes to Beauty the Steps, 301 Dating Ideas, 301 Conversational Ideas, 301 Ways to Say I Love You, 301 Ways to Love Your Children & 301 Recovery Tools & Tips.