A Core Tenant of Leadership: Rest & Rejuvination
1. Rest: Prioritize Stillness
Garth: Rest isn’t just about catching up on sleep—though that’s important! It’s about giving yourself permission to pause. Whether it’s taking a break from emails or simply sitting with your favorite mug of tea in hand, rest allows you to quiet the constant demands of leadership. Think of it like pressing the reset button for your mind.
Tracy: Totally agree, Garth. Leadership isn’t just about the hours you put in; it’s about the intention you bring to your work. Use this time to step back, assess, and recharge so you can show up as your best self.
Graham: And let’s not forget that rest can mean different things to different people. For me, it’s a morning run or simply reading a book. Whatever it looks like for you, lean into what makes you feel still and present.
2. Recharge: Find What Lights You Up
Garth: One of my favorite Ted Lasso moments is when he starts each day with biscuits—a small ritual that brings him and Rebecca together. What’s your “biscuit”? Find the thing that brings joy and makes you feel alive again, whether it’s laughter with family, a creative hobby, or time outdoors.
Graham: I’ve found that reconnecting to passions and interests outside of work—like music or writing—has this incredible ability to recharge my spirit. This also allows me to reestablish and/or build healthy routines and habbits that better ensure my passions and interests are part of my every day no matter the demands of work.
Tracy: Great point! Recharging doesn’t always mean stepping away from people—it can also mean leaning into meaningful connections. A simple coffee with an old friend can remind you why you lead the way you do.
3. Rejuvenate: Reflect and Realign
Garth: The holidays are also a chance to ask yourself the big questions. Where am I going? What kind of leader do I want to be? Like Ted, who always reflects on how his actions shape the team, we need to set fresh intentions for the path ahead.
Tracy: Reflection isn’t just personal—it’s also about your organization. Take time to think about the culture you’re building. What are the wins you’re celebrating? What could use more attention? Rejuvenation isn’t just about reimagining your purpose—it’s about aligning it with action.
Graham: And let’s not forget, this is the perfect time to zoom out and embrace gratitude. Reflect on the small wins and the people who have helped you grow. There is gratifude to be found within even the most challenging moments we’ve experienced. A little gratitude can go a long way in setting a positive mindset and tone for the year ahead.
We’re wishing all CIS Ontario leadership lab participants a restful, recharging, and rejuvenating break. Use this time to pour into yourself, so you can pour into others with purpose and intention.
Happy holidays,
Happy Holidays everyone!
Thank you, Tracy, Garth and Graham, for these thought-provoking prompts.
1. Rest: Prioritize Stillness
When I think of the word rest, my understanding is quite straightforward: it means taking time for yourself, relaxing, and enjoying moments of doing whatever brings you joy. Over the break, as a self-proclaimed non-fiction enthusiast, I read/listened to a fiction for the first time in a long while—simply to immerse myself in a story and enjoy it.
However, the idea of prioritizing stillness that followed, struck me as more thought-provoking. Unlike rest, stillness seems more intentional and strategic. It’s not just about enjoying free time or allowing things to happen as they may. Stillness could mean pausing to observe instead of rushing to decide, reflecting before taking action, or choosing to do nothing deliberately, knowing that the outcomes might surpass the results of acting.
2. Recharge: Find What Lights You Up
To me, this is about pursuing what genuinely interests you, whether it’s work-related or not. Work and life don’t have to be at odds (sometimes they are inevitably, but they don’t always have to); the key is finding a balance and allowing them to align. Much of what we do at work benefits our family and ourselves, while what we do outside of work—with and for our loved ones—can, in turn, enrich our professional lives.
For me, this sweet spot lies in my passion for exploring different cultures and traditions. One area I find particularly captivating is the culinary traditions of various countries. Through conversations with people, learning new recipes, and sharing them with my family, I can also enhance my work (I am leading cooking club at my school).
3. Rejuvenate: Reflect and Realign
Taking time for myself to reflect is both meaningful and necessary. Over a prolonged period of intense work, I often find myself begin to react, rather than being proactive and intentional in my planning. Identifying what truly drives and motivates me is valuable. At work, it’s easy to become so focused on tasks and goals that I lose sight of the deeper values and the meaning I strive to bring to those around me and my organization.
Reflective moments away from highly demanding work, especially during breaks, help me realign my actions with what I genuinely value. This reflective process fosters a sense of purpose, responsibility, and love (recalling our last meeting at Havergal). This renewed sense of purpose and responsibility, along with the feeling of love brought back to work, is both refreshing and impactful.
Thanks for this Cynthia – some great responses in here 🙂
Happy New Year
On the last day of school before winter break, there are messages and encouragements shared freely and with kindness, including something like: “have a restful and rejuvinating break”. I often think, as the day planner and to do list rockets through my head, how the heck am I supposed to do THAT? The pace stays the same; its just the people in the room that change. On Dec 20, all I could think was; two weeks is not going to be enough.
But perhaps I should have been thinking; I have two weeks, and I am going to perform in all the ways that are expected of me by my family and friends. AND, I am going to rest and rejuvinate as well. Maybe the Dec 28th post came at just the right time? Seeding an intention? Somehow I found a way, becasue I presently feel both rested and recharged. A change of scene, physical exercise, being outside, social gatherings, art museums, reading, writing in a journal (thought I would hate it, but I don’t) and spending time with my family are the ingredients. The recipe involved combining the ingredients; right time, right place, right people— and acknowledging that if the timing was wrong, you get to remake the recipe tomorrow. A visit with my OISE class of ’12, a ski day and film are ahead. My house is clean and my bag is already packed for Jan 6 PD. Next 3 days are gravy!
Thank you all for the above comments and the opportunity to reflect on how we look after ourselves.
Rest: Prioritize Stillness
Each year, rather that resolutions I try to set intentions for the year ahead. One of my intentions for this year is to be intentional with how I choose to spend my time, and part of this is seeking out more opportunities for stillness in my mornings, before the hecticness of the day sets in. For example, If I am having my coffee in the morning – taking the time to only sit and enjoy my coffee and not try to do 10 other things while taking a sip here and there of increasingly colder and colder coffee. In doing this, I find myself calmer and that the solutions to problems suddenly present themselves when I pause. In seeking out this stillness I find joy in the ordinary and am so much for energized throughout the day.
Recharge – This break, I was able to do what I love most and get outside and move. For me, recharging is coming back to the things we love that bring us energy that we may have let slip throughout the year. Doing this more in the break has also has helped me to re-set and bring this back into part of my regular routine again.
Rejuvenate: Reflect and Realign – as I mentioned above, I like to set my intentions for the year. This year they are: To be intentional with what I do, to be more mindful/present in my moments, and lightheartedness. I have these written on a sticky on my bulletin board as a reminder throughout the year.
Happy New Year, all! With the holidays behind us, I know I have to remind myself to continue to build in time to rest, recharge and reflect during the busy school year as well. I’m still working on this! I know that when I am able to make these things a priority outside of the school day, I come back to my work refreshed and ready to take on my tasks (and the tougher aspects of my role when they come up) with a more positive and energetic outlook.
I posted something in this blog just days after Dec 28. I received a notification that it was awaiting moderator approval. But it never appeared.
So I an trying a quick response as a test.
Rest and rejuvination looks different for everyone, but a friend of mine had a good angle for how to think of it. The energy bank. Make deposits so you will be ready for what life throws at you. Make withdrawls as needed. Don’t let your account get too low. You never know how large the next withdrawl might need to be.
One thing that I remember hearing that really stuck with me is that we need to allow our minds time to “close all the open tabs” that we have going at once in order to really process what we’ve experienced and be able to come up with new ideas to challenges. I’ve found my commute can be that for me, so I usually listen to instrumental music to let my thoughts wander.
I’ve also found that rest sometimes requires movement. We can get tired of sitting on the couch, and sometimes a run or a walk is a way to reset inertia. I once read about the benefits of having walking meetings rather than sitting down for them, and I’ve always thought that sounded like a great idea since there’s a built-in dynamism to it.
This resonates with me as a teacher, where the pace of the year often leaves little room for intentional stillness. I especially liked how you all stressed that rest looks different for different people…sometimes just hearing that gives us that permission to reset and know it’s ok. This break I was able to rest and recharge by drinking my tea while still warm and reading a book of my choice by the fireplace. It was glorious!