Is it irresponsible to talk about sabbaticals during a workforce crisis or is it exactly the leadership conversation we need to be having?
In this Leadership Insights episode, I return to one theme that stood out in my recent Me, Myself and I reflection: sabbaticals. As a self-confessed sabbatical evangelist, I take 10 minutes to make the case for why stepping away from work - thoughtfully and intentionally - is not indulgent, but strategic. Drawing on my own sabbatical year as a Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellow in Boston, conversations with colleagues across healthcare, and a robust evidence base, I explore what sabbaticals really offer leaders, clinicians, and organisations.
I share what led me to take a sabbatical after 25 years of continuous NHS service, what I learned from stepping outside my system, and why distance can reveal what proximity conceals. I also address the very real barriers that stop many people even considering a sabbatical and why none of them are as insurmountable as they may feel.
What I Explore
- The Evidence for Sabbaticals: I walk through what research consistently shows: reduced burnout, improved psychological wellbeing, greater creativity, higher retention, and stronger leadership pipelines when sabbaticals are supported.
- Naming the Barriers Honestly: I openly about money, family disruption, career momentum, guilt, and uncertainty and how each of these concerns can be reframed and navigated with planning and clarity.
- Identity Beyond the Job Title: I reflect on how deeply our roles can shape who we think we are, and how a sabbatical can reconnect us with the truth that the job is what we do - not who we are.
- What Distance Makes Visible: From learning new research methodologies at Harvard to understanding health inequities on a global scale, I share how stepping outside my system fundamentally reshaped how I think as a leader.
- : I make the argument that sabbaticals are not workforce gaps, but investments - strengthening succession planning, innovation, resilience, and organisational culture.