This is part 2 of a 10-part series on my 3-month sabbatical during the summer of 2024.  This series has two purposes— 1) to motivate and equip others to take a restorative break from work, and 2) to share insights I gained during my time away.  To start at the beginning of the series, go here.

Preparing Myself

I read a few posts and articles (even an academic one) about sabbaticals.  I didn’t find much of that reading helpful, but I think it was good to dip into those waters as a form of due diligence, to make sure I wasn’t missing something critical.

I wanted to find other leaders who had taken sabbaticals.  I targeted chief executives who took a sabbatical of at least three months, with the intention of returning to their existing role.  I ended up meeting with 13 individual leaders.  These conversations were helpful and orienting to me.  I took careful notes, asking lots of questions about their context, motivation, objectives, approach, insights, and outcomes.  I welcomed all the information and harvested everything that seemed to map to my context.

As I started my research, I knew that some people would try to universalize their sabbatical learning, assuming that their experience would map cleanly to all others’.  I left plenty of space in my brain to welcome what they shared without judgment, so I could sort it out at my own pace.

Some of what those leaders shared:

1. It will take longer than you think to slow down and find a new rhythm.
2. Expect the unexpected. Be open to the adventure and surprises.
3. Have a goal and plan, and be prepared to discard it if it doesn’t fit, as circumstances change.
4. Ensure you engage people you trust during the sabbatical, so you can process the experience.
5. One CEO said, “Sabbatical is way more important than running the business.”
6. Another said, “Ask yourself: what does the soft animal in my body want?”
7. Find space that delights you.

As I built out the schedule for the sabbatical, I started wondering if I was trying to pack too much in.  About 60% of the 92 days had something planned.  In the end, I decided that was about right because much of the “scheduled” time was actually relatively restful and unstructured, consisting of vacation, camping, and a personal retreat.  In the end, that level of “busyness” seemed to serve me well.

I decided to unplug from LinkedIn, and I turned off the handful of daily news emails that I consumed regularly.  (Months later, I still haven’t turned them back on, even during the Presidential election; this has been great for my calm and focus.)

As I prepared, a prayer kept surfacing in my mind: “Lord, direct my gaze.”  By this I meant, “Show me what I need to see.”  This became my sabbatical mantra.  It turned out to be a powerful prayer.  When others asked what they could be praying for me before and during the sabbatical, I consistently replied, “That God would direct my gaze.”

Preparing My Team

Within Kairos, we listed categories of topics we needed to nail down before I left:

1. Which of my duties to automate or outsource
2. Which of my duties to hand off (including IT systems admin roles)
3. Decision rights in my absence
4. Communication to clients and other stakeholders about the sabbatical
5. Spiritual and emotional prep for me, my family, the Kairos team, and my clients
6. Chartering projects for the team to complete in my absence

I decided to turn off my Kairos email for the 3 months, with an out-of-office message:

I’m unavailable until 9/1/24. I won’t be reading this email, and I’ll be deleting everything that arrives in my inbox between now and 9/1.  If it’s still relevant and important at that future date, feel free to reach back out then.  If you need something from Kairos before then, please contact Alyssa Johnson [Alyssa’s email].  Thanks.  -Chip

I commissioned Alyssa, my right-hand woman, as Interim CEO.

I told the team, “Don’t reach out to me unless you want to fire someone or hire someone, or unless someone wants to quit.”

Kim had the excellent idea of establishing a “Sabbatical Gatekeeper.”  My good friend, Rob Wiley, agreed to serve in this role.  He is business savvy, and he knows and loves me.  If the team thought they should reach out to me, they would go to Rob first.  He would decide, “Yes, talk to Chip.” or “No, keep going with your plan.  You’re fine.”

Immediately before I started the sabbatical, I wrote personal notes to all of my clients and to each Kairos team member.  My intent was to both encourage and exhort— to give them an elevated vision of who they could become, while also expressing my pride and belief in them.  Given how frayed my nerves and spirit were in that season, I think these notes probably weren’t as powerful as I had hoped.  But I’m still glad I wrote and shared them, because they communicated my care for each individual and helped us align on expectations.

Summary

1. Should you take a sabbatical, you won’t be the first.  Learn from those with experience.
2. Align with your family, team, and customers.
3. Prepare enough to disconnect as fully as possible.
4. Have goals for your sabbatical, and be willing to revise them.

Next installment:  The most common question I get now…  “What did you DO on sabbatical?”

Chip Neidigh is Founder and CEO at Kairos, where he and his colleagues help CEOs build elite executive teams.  Want to be notified when we post articles that invite a journey into more courageous and selfless leadership? Sign up for The Kairos Moment, our monthly(ish) email alert.