I didn't have a call or read an email from work for 2 months

During July and August of this year I didn’t read an email or have a phone call that related to work. I took a sabbatical, returning on the 4th of September.

It was one of the best decisions I have made and has been enormously beneficial for me, my family and the firm I work for.

I have worked for 30 years taking the usual summer and Christmas holidays with some slightly extended breaks for the birth of my three daughters. Having grown up in the eighties and graduated in the early nineties, hard work was all I knew. At that time Ireland was emerging from a sustained period of poor economic performance and it was a real challenge to get a job ?– so if you got one, you did everything you could to hang onto it! That culture became second nature to me as I developed my career. I worked initially as a software developer and then in professional services both of which have plenty of opportunity for long hours and weekend work. I invested myself wholly in the experiences and opportunities – not only because I loved the work, but because I felt it was what I had to do. I was by no means unique, and I understand that there is a myriad of different challenges in the workplace today – but I’m probably reflective of a certain generation and one that had a different context and priorities to those who have followed on behind us.

Deloitte put in place a mechanism to enable Partners take a sabbatical last year. I was one of the first to sign up. As it got closer to the date of departure, I could easily have cancelled. I had a whole list of reasons not to go – my work was too important, I was letting people down, the timing wasn’t right, etc..

However, I went. I deleted Microsoft Outlook from my phone and didn’t re-install it again until just before I returned to work. I got a couple of text messages early on but re-directed them. I didn’t read an email or take a call related to work for two months. There was a mechanism in place in case I was really needed, the situation didn’t arise.

Over the eight weeks, we had many incredible experiences – from hiking 2,000m above sea level to look down into a valley a sheer drop of 1,000m below; sailing, cycling, scuba diving and a little more cycling. It was an active, outdoors summer with the added benefit of being surrounded by my family throughout.

However, the significant benefits from this time are much more fundamental than any specific experience:

-??????? Re-assessing my Purpose. I have always been clear on my purpose. Without work occupying most of my time, I had to re-think how I would bring my purpose to life. My purpose has always been to make a positive impact on the lives of others, contributing to their wellbeing and development. But to do that I have to look after my own wellbeing first, followed by my families and then out into the communities where I live and work. This may sound obvious. But framing my purpose in the absence of work has provided me with real clarity on how I will live it. It has helped me prioritise where I spend my time including the things that I will let go versus the things that I will focus in on.

-??????? Re-connecting with no distractions: There has been lots of family change since the pandemic as the girls have grown up, changed schools, and even started college. Their relationships with each other have changed over the past four years, this time together gave us all the chance to re-connect in a way that was very positive.

-??????? My wife and I have known each other for thirty-four years and have been married for twenty-five. We had a great holiday together and having spent the most time in each other’s company over the sabbatical since we were in college, it was great to know that there is still lots we want to do together.

Having returned to the office I had a handover with the person who had stepped into my role while I was away. As we went through the list of things on the agenda, I was struck by the number of updates that linked to the personal loss of colleagues – their family or friends. It eliminated any lingering guilt I had about taking the time out.

Finally, from a work point of view. The team did a brilliant job of ensuring the business was well run while I was away. It put into the practice the benefit of a strong team aligned around a common purpose. It has also given me the chance to think about where to invest my energy as I head into my second term as CEO of Deloitte Ireland.

Life is a balance of holding on and letting go. As I return to the cut and thrust of the working world, I feel the benefit of having let go of those things I can’t change or influence and being much clearer as to what I want to hold on to and why. Overall, it has been a salient lesson on the impermanence of any of us in leadership and the benefit of really disconnecting to recharge.