After 15 years leading one of the region’s most prominent organizations, CenterState CEO president and chief executive officer Rob Simpson did the unthinkable.

He turned off his computer, locked his work cell phone in a drawer and walked out the door. He didn’t return for three months.

Now this was no dramatic resignation. It was a well-thought-out plan that had the blessing of his board and his colleagues. And at the time, Simpson thought it was critical to save himself from a level of burnout he couldn’t bounce back from.

He also knew what he was doing wasn’t common or even popular — CEOs, or any employer for that matter, don’t usually have the luxury of a leave of absence. But he was open about why he needed the time.

Back on the job about two months now, Simpson tells everyone who

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