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.
- The Organisational Case: I make the argument that sabbaticals are not workforce gaps, but investments - strengthening succession planning, innovation, resilience, and organisational culture.
- Different Models of Sabbatical
From policy and leadership fellowships to research, clinical, and restorative sabbaticals, I outline the many ways time away can be structured and why alignment with your values matters most.
As I reflect on my own experience, one truth stands out clearly: rest is not abandonment - it is preparation. For leaders working in high-stakes, emotionally intense environments, sabbaticals protect compassion, restore perspective, and create the space needed for long-term thinking.
Stepping away, when done with intention, can be the most powerful way to step forward.
Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations
Instagram
LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)
Website
Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.
