NGO Soul + Strategy 041. Rest, reset, resilience: how my mind journeyed when I took a sabbatical - Chris Proulx @ Humentum
Summary
What happens when NGO leaders take a 4 months sabbatical?
What happens to the mind -- what journey does it go on during a 4 month's rest from work?
What happens, especially when we are talking about a leader who was already quite steeped in mindfulness and meditation before he started his sabbatical?
In this podcast episode, I discuss with Chris Proulx, Global Director at Humentum the topic of rest, reset, reflection, and personal resilience when leaders take an extensive break from work.
Chris’s Bio:
- Global Director at Humentum, the global network of NGOs that strengthens operational excellence through community building, training, consulting services, and policy-influencing work
- Former President and CEO at LINGOs
- Former CEO of e-Cornell - Cornell University's e-learning platform
We discuss:
- Resilience is not helped when we do not dare to rely on the help of others, even in the presence of a great team
- What is the art of ‘doing nothing’? At first, anxiety about the empty space.
- To what extent is the notion of time an illusion?
- How leaders spend their attention is precious. Most of us spend it quite poorly.
- How organizations can create more opportunities for sabbaticals, as part of a benefits package, even when you are not huge.
Quotes
“My mind was not ready to rest in the first few weeks after starting my sabbatical; I was not yet able to pull back the mind”
“I at first still kept scheduling, trying to stay in control mode, I was still crossing things off my to-do list”
“It took a while to really be able to listen to what bubbled up in the mind”
Resources:
Five Oaks Consulting School's Online course on Virtual Team Leadership skills
Youtube video of this podcast
Click here to subscribe to be alerted when new podcast episodes come out or when Tosca produces other thought leadership pieces.
Or email Tosca at tosca@5oaksconsulting.org if you want to talk about your social sector organization’s needs, challenges, and opportunities.
You can find Tosca’s content by following her on her social media channels: