Are Sabbaticals Worth the Time?
Cape Town, South Africa
“Stress comes from ignoring things that you shouldn't be ignoring." -Jeff Bezos
I was once speaking with the CEO of $10B business and asked him what the secret to his career success was. And the answer was not what I was expecting.
With a smile, he said, “I’ve taken two sabbaticals.”
Research and experience are pointing to something important: a well-designed sabbatical can improve creativity, energy, perspective and long-term engagement. Companies including Intel have recognized this for decades, offering structured sabbaticals as part of their talent strategy.
In Big Time Off, DJ DiDonna argues that six to eight weeks is often enough to create lasting change. The goal is to create enough space day-to-day to reflect, explore new interests and reconnect with what matters.
DiDonna has noticed that there are three types of sabbatical takers:
Achievers - They plan to be busy on the sabbatical by writing a book, learning new language, or being certified in a new area
Explorers - They want to travel and be more spontaneous
Seekers - They are much for inward focused trying to find their essence or asking self-reflection prompts, “what gets me excited?”
One idea from the book stood out to me: keep a journal.
Writing down your thoughts during a sabbatical helps make sense of the experience. It creates space to notice patterns, challenge assumptions and return with greater clarity.
For leaders, a sabbatical isn’t time away from leadership.
It’s an investment.
Have you ever taken a sabbatical, or seriously considered one?