The Importance of Rest in Leadership

Why the best leaders know when to pause.

For most of my life, I thought rest was weakness. I pushed through exhaustion, kept working late into the night, and wore burnout like a badge of honor.

But the truth is, leadership without rest isn’t sustainable. It drains us. It makes us reactive instead of responsive. And it teaches our teams that hustle is more valuable than health.

I’ve had to unlearn that mindset. These days, I am learning to sit in stillness, to listen to my body, to honor my limits. And I’ve seen how powerful that shift can be — not just for me, but for those I lead.

Because when we rest, we model something important: that our worth is not just in what we produce. That it’s okay to pause, breathe, and restore.

Three small ways you can honor rest this week:

1. Step away from your desk for a real lunch break.

2. Do something nice for yourself.

3. Give yourself permission to be still.

Leadership isn’t just about how much we can give. It’s also about how well we can sustain. And that starts with rest.