Three Decisions That Make a Sabbatical Transformational
2 minutes read
Stepping away from work can feel risky—especially for high-achievers. Many leaders worry less about taking a break than about what happens afterwards: Will I still be relevant? Will I know how to return?
After my own two-year sabbatical, I discovered something unexpected. A successful return doesn’t begin when we update our CV. It begins the day we decide to step away.
Here are three practices I would follow again.
1. Know why you’re taking the break
A clear purpose changes everything.
When our sabbatical is driven by intention rather than exhaustion, it becomes an act of leadership rather than escape. We stop feeling like life is happening to us and start recognizing that we are making a conscious choice.
That mindset creates confidence—not only during the break, but also when it’s time to return.
2. Set a timeframe—but hold it lightly
Planning is wise. Attachment is not.
Many people fix a return date and treat it as immovable. The problem is that transformation rarely follows a calendar. Sometimes our Body knows we’re not ready before your mind is willing to admit it.
One of the greatest leadership skills—both at work and in life—is learning when to trust data and when to trust deeper signals. In AI, we know that better inputs lead to better outcomes. Human intelligence works similarly. Our thoughts matter, but so do the signals from our nervous system, our emotions, and intuition.
When we ignore those signals, we often interrupt our own growth before it has fully unfolded.
3. Be intentional about what you want to gain
A sabbatical is not simply time away from work. It is space to become someone new.
We might develop a new skill, write the book that has been postponed for years, explore a creative passion, or simply reconnect with parts of ourself that success quietly pushed aside.
The greatest return on a sabbatical isn’t found on our résumé. It’s found in the person who comes back.
We return with greater self-awareness, stronger confidence, new capabilities, and often a clearer sense of what truly matters.
As leaders, we spend much of our careers developing our expertise. Sometimes the most valuable investment is creating space to develop ourselves.
The Invitation
If your calendar suddenly gave you six months with no professional obligations, who would you want to become by the end of it?
That question may reveal more about your next chapter than your next promotion ever could.
If this reflection resonates with you, I would love to hear from you. I return every email and message I receive from you. You can message me directly here or book a first discovery call for free here.
