You are finite. But as a leader, often, our work seems infinite. How do you deal with this imbalance?
In our fast-paced world, it's easy to see rest as a weakness. I believe it’s a gift. Sadly many have neglected to open this present and discover the goodness of rest.
Rest is one of the key roles in cultivating leaders. Today, we’ll look at three reasons to rest as a leader:
What changed was their current circumstances no longer allowed for the facade of control.
I spent seven years working overseas, most of the time serving as a team leader. Consistently I would watch teammates struggle with feeling out of control as they adjusted to the new culture. They didn’t know the language, the food, the customs, even how to find the bathroom. Suddenly a 24-year-old needs as much help as an eight-year-old.
While empathizing with their experience, I’d ask what it would take to feel in control again. Throughout the conversation, it would become more apparent that they were never in control. What changed was their current circumstances no longer allowed for the facade of control.
Daily surrender to rest reminds me that I'm not in control.
In a culture that exalts the motivated worker with four side hustles, rest is a much-needed discipline. Daily surrender to rest reminds me that I'm not in control. At first, this felt terrifying, but after I accepted it, I discovered it’s freeing.
At the end of my day, I will consider what is left to be done. I take these things and surrender them to God, recognizing I can’t bring them to fruition in my strength. I then express my trust in God’s provision and timing. This act of surrender allows me not to carry what isn’t mine to take and be at peace.
Work is a good thing. You are created to work, to create. But work has also been cursed to be toilsome, to frustrate.
Physically you need rest to heal and be restored. Even as I write this post, I’m wearing a boot on my foot because it needs to be still to recover. You also need rest to heal mentally and emotionally.
So let’s talk about Netflix.
Rest, particularly restorative rest, is not the same as distraction. Distraction at best is neutral, but in actuality, it costs us more than we realize. Here are a few reasons why.
We live in a chronically tired society, not because there isn’t enough downtime, but because of how we spend it.
Now let’s talk about recreation.
Rest isn’t just sleeping, though we could all likely benefit from more sleep. Real recreation gives you life, helping you to be re-created. Here are some ideas to consider:
You were design for rest and the book "The Rest of God" explores what it means to truly rest.
In the past few years, I built new cross-functional teams to lead across multiple departments in our organization. I defined their roles and responsibilities. I coached the leaders for a while.
Then I took a sabbatical. For 30 days, I was not available for questions, guidance, context, or problem-solving.
Not only was this rest critical for my growth as a leader, but it also served to establish the new team giving them the confidence that they were ready to lead. I’ve seen this happen over and over with young leaders. They aren’t “ready” until they have to be. Consider how you could take your own sabbatical as a gap-month.
Rest not only restores us as a leader, but it also multiplies us as leaders.
When establishing a new leader, sometimes the best thing I can do is get out of the way. The timing is usually earlier than feels comfortable. If you have an enthusiastic young leader, you likely need to give space sooner than you think.
Rest not only restores us as a leader, but it also multiplies us as leaders.
I’ve found Mark Buchanan’s book Rest of God and Tim Keller’s book Every Good Endeavor instructive as I’ve learned to rest as a leader.
You want your life to have meaning and impact.
What if your everyday work and life not only felt natural and intuitive but also aligned with your priorities and positively impacted those around you?
Questions for reflection
Team leadership is a management approach focused on leading and guiding a group of individuals working together towards a common goal. A team leader is responsible for providing direction, support, and guidance to the team members, while fostering a positive and productive work environment.
Team leadership involves setting clear goals and expectations for the team, communicating effectively, and building trust and relationships with team members. It also involves empowering team members to take ownership of their work and contribute their unique skills and perspectives to the team's success.
Some key characteristics of effective team leadership include:
Overall, team leadership is a collaborative and empowering approach to management that values communication, trust-building, and results-driven performance.
There are several different styles of team leadership, including:
Overall, each style of team leadership has its own strengths and weaknesses, and effective leaders may use a combination of different styles depending on the situation and the needs of their team.
There are several key skills required for effective team leadership, including:
Overall, effective team leadership requires a combination of interpersonal, decision-making, and management skills, as well as the ability to inspire and empower team members to work collaboratively towards shared goals.
Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy and management style that emphasizes the importance of serving others first before considering one's own needs and desires. It's an approach to leadership that focuses on the well-being and growth of others, rather than solely on achieving organizational goals.
A servant leader prioritizes the needs of their followers or team members, providing them with support, guidance, and mentorship. They are committed to empowering their team members to reach their full potential and achieve their goals.
Some common characteristics of servant leaders include:
Overall, servant leadership is about creating a supportive and empowering environment for others to thrive. By prioritizing the needs of their followers, a servant leader can inspire trust, loyalty, and commitment, ultimately leading to better outcomes for the organization as a whole.
Learn more about how to cultivate servant leadership.
Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy and management style that emphasizes the importance of serving others first before considering one's own needs and desires. It's an approach to leadership that focuses on the well-being and growth of others, rather than solely on achieving organizational goals.
A servant leader prioritizes the needs of their followers or team members, providing them with support, guidance, and mentorship. They are committed to empowering their team members to reach their full potential and achieve their goals.
Some common characteristics of servant leaders include:
Overall, servant leadership is about creating a supportive and empowering environment for others to thrive. By prioritizing the needs of their followers, a servant leader can inspire trust, loyalty, and commitment, ultimately leading to better outcomes for the organization as a whole.
Learn more about how to cultivate servant leadership.
Servant leadership can be beneficial in the workplace in a number of ways, including:
Overall, servant leadership can lead to a more positive, productive, and fulfilling workplace environment, benefiting both employees and the organization as a whole.
Learn more about how to cultivate servant leadership.
Servant leadership differs from many other leadership styles in several key ways:
Overall, servant leadership is characterized by a focus on serving others, prioritizing empathy and collaboration, and taking a humble and accountable approach to leadership. While other leadership styles may be effective in different contexts, servant leadership can be a powerful tool for creating positive change and empowering others to reach their full potential.
Learn more about how to cultivate servant leadership.
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