Lead: The Place of Rest in Leadership

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The Myth of Perpetual Motion

Early in my career I believed that good leaders were the first to arrive, the last to leave, and the ones who could push through exhaustion without complaint. It looked impressive from the outside, but inside I was running on fumes. My creativity dulled, my patience thinned, and my judgment suffered.  From my early twenties until I was about to turn forty, I regularly worked 60-100 hour weeks.  As I was staring at the entrance to my 4th decade on Earth, I realized that something had to change.

It took hitting that wall to realize that leadership isn’t a marathon run without water breaks. It’s more like a relay, you have to pace yourself, hand off when needed, and actually breathe between sprints. Rest isn’t a reward for leaders. It’s a requirement.

Learning to Switch Off

Switching off is harder than it sounds, especially when your work is people-focused. Even after hours you’re still thinking about the meeting tomorrow, the hiring decision next week, or the email you haven’t answered yet.

Leaders who never disconnect end up tired, reactive, and less able to see the big picture. The discipline of rest starts small. Close the laptop at a set time. Turn off notifications during dinner. Take a walk without headphones. Train your brain to believe that stepping away is part of the job, not slacking off.

Switching off is an act of trust. You’re telling your team: “I’ve built systems and empowered people well enough that I don’t have to hover.” And you’re telling yourself: “I’m a better leader when I’m not running on empty.”

Vacation and Leisure Time

Leaders often talk about “protecting their team’s time” while quietly working through their own weekends. But your habits set the tone. If you never take a real break, your team won’t believe they’re allowed to either.

Plan vacation. Take it. Model it. Show your team what healthy boundaries look like in practice. And remember leisure doesn’t have to be expensive or far away. It might be a day spent hiking, an afternoon gardening, or a few hours with a good book.

Those breaks reset your system and refill your patience. They give you distance and perspective that you can’t get when you’re constantly in motion.

Contemplative Time

Not all rest is physical. Leaders need mental rest too, space for thinking, reflection, and stillness. Call it quiet time, meditation, prayer, journaling, or just a long walk without your phone.

This is where you process the week, connect dots, and let ideas breathe. It’s where you evaluate decisions without urgency. It’s where your instincts and your intellect catch up with each other.

Contemplative time also helps you stay grounded. It softens the ego and lets humility grow, both critical and often lacking traits for leadership.

Rest Is a Leadership Skill

Rest isn’t something you squeeze in once everything else is done. It’s a discipline that makes everything else better. It allows you to be more creative, more patient, and more decisive.

When you model healthy rest, you give your team permission to do the same. And when you give yourself time to switch off, enjoy life, and think deeply, you’re not stepping away from leadership. You’re practicing it.

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