People are a bit like Technology

A few days ago, I heard something from the CEO of Ocean Basket, Grace Harding, that really stuck with me: people are a bit like technology; sometimes you need to switch them off.

Now, before you picture a boss walking around pulling plugs out of the wall, let’s look at it from a leadership and risk management perspective. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

In risk management, we put huge effort into looking at systems. We track performance indicators, we map processes, and we set up controls so that things don’t collapse under strain. IT teams will tell you: no server can run flat-out forever. Machines need a reboot. Systems need preventative maintenance. Ignore it, and the cracks appear when you can least afford it.

People are no different. If we keep pushing without pause, fatigue creeps in. It doesn’t always show up in the obvious ways. Sometimes it’s small mistakes, sometimes it’s delayed reactions, sometimes it’s decision-making that isn’t as sharp as it should be. Slowly, the organisation takes on silent risk. By the time anyone notices, the cost is already mounting.

This is where the leadership lens matters. Strategic risk management is not just about financial dashboards and compliance reports. It’s about understanding that the human element is the biggest moving part of the whole system. If your people are running hot, you’re carrying risk whether you see it or not.

Here’s the catch: in many organisations, rest is still seen as an indulgence. Leaders push for output, teams chase deadlines, and “downtime” is treated as wasted time. But from a strategic perspective, downtime is not indulgence; it’s an essential control. It prevents breakdowns, reduces exposure, and protects long-term value.

Servant leadership ties into this perfectly. It’s not about pulling people back because they’re unproductive; it’s about giving them the chance to reset so they can sustain performance over time. It’s about leading with the foresight to know that a reset today can prevent a crisis tomorrow.

I’ve been in environments where people were pushed too far, where the culture was “keep going until it breaks.” It always breaks. Whether it’s safety incidents, quality issues, or poor strategic decisions, the cost of ignoring the human reset is always higher than the cost of building it in.

That’s why I liked Grace’s remark so much. It takes a simple metaphor, switching off technology, and reminds us of something fundamental: resilience isn’t built by running non-stop. Resilience is built by knowing when to pause, reset, and come back sharper.

So maybe the next time you’re reviewing risks at the governance level, don’t just look at project schedules, budgets, or compliance dashboards. Ask the harder question: are our people getting the chance to reset? Are we managing the human system with the same care we apply to our technical and financial systems?

Because dashboards or machines don’t deliver strategy, it’s delivered by people. And if you want those people to deliver consistently, sometimes the most strategic thing you can do as a leader is simple: switch them off, let them cool down, and watch them restart stronger.