Jacob Kupietzky is President of HealthCare Transformation, a company dedicated to providing hospitals with experienced interim executives.
It’s no secret executives work a lot. The long hours, high stakes and constant decision making often come with the territory. But working harder and longer doesn’t necessarily equate to better results. In fact, when burnout happens, it can derail progress far more than taking a healthier, more intentional approach to work.
After years of workplace disruption—from the pandemic to hiring highs and lows, economic uncertainty and even a generational shift with Gen-Z entering the workforce—I’m seeing a change in the leadership landscape.
According to the Gallup “State of the Global Workplace: 2025 Report” (download required), manager engagement fell from 30% to 27%—the most significant decline of any group measured. The United States and Canada are the most stressed areas of the world, and 50% of employees globally are watching for or actively seeking a new job.
In our “work hard, play hard” culture, the pressure to innovate, perform and deliver faster is constant. For leaders, balancing these demands with thoughtful stewardship can feel like an impossible task.
Enter: the case for using rest as a strategic tactic.
Rest often gets a bad reputation as laziness, when, in fact, it can be an effective lever for improving performance. For leaders, integrating intentional rest into your routine isn’t just good for you—it’s good for your entire organization.
Why Rest Works
• Improved Decision Making: Fatigue clouds judgment. Rest gives leaders space to pause, consider all the options and avoid reactive thinking.
• Increased Creativity: Stepping away from the daily grind creates mental space for innovation. Many breakthroughs happen not at the desk, but during a walk or while on vacation. Research shows creativity often peaks about two weeks after returning from time off.
• Sustained Performance: Leadership is a marathon, not a sprint. Strategic pauses prevent the boom-and-bust cycle of overwork followed by burnout. One study found the most productive employees work in 75-minute sprints followed by 33-minute breaks.
• Stronger Presence: Well-rested leaders are often better able to engage with their teams, model healthy boundaries and inspire sustainable performance.
Practical Ways To Integrate Rest Into Your Leadership Routine
1. Block your calendar for recovery time. Schedule time for deep work, breaks and reflection just as you would a meeting. Treat these blocks as non-negotiable.
2. Take a digital detox—even briefly. Regularly disconnect from email, messaging apps and social media, even if only for a few hours a week. This can help leaders reset focus and avoid decision fatigue.
3. Delegate with intention. Distribute responsibilities so your team has room to grow—and you have the bandwidth to think strategically rather than constantly firefight.
4. Prioritize sleep and physical well-being. Exercise, sleep and nutrition are critical to performing at your best over the long term. A leader running on empty simply can’t lead effectively for an extended period.
5. Use vacations as strategy, not reward. Plan time away proactively, not as a recovery after going too hard for too long. Time off can align with strategic planning cycles to return with a fresh perspective.
A Strategic Imperative, Not An Afterthought
When leaders embrace rest as a core part of their strategy, they can protect their own effectiveness and create cultures where people can perform at their best. The result? Teams that think creatively, operate with steadiness and deliver consistent results.
I believe that in a world where “always on” has become the default, the leaders who make the most meaningful impact know when to push—and equally as important, when to pause.
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