A Letter from Our CEO-Visionary: Returning from Sabbatical

Metro Caring Community:

After a few months' sabbatical leave to focus on rest and well-being, I am excited to return to work and see all of you.

Typical of me, my sabbatical plan consisted of a lengthy to-do list of self-care activities, which I endeavored to pursue. On my first night of sabbatical, however, I attended a webinar on sustainable leadership. The “Sustainable Leadership” training turned out to be a masterfully marketed workshop for people like me: Type A’s who’d driven ourselves to exhaustion and poor health - who knew we needed to do something but had no clue what or how. The workshop taught us the importance of rest and provided practical skills to do so. It taught me to slow my roll. 

More tools in hand, I set out to practice them, and take the time to listen to my body. I also participated in an 8-day meditation retreat, traveled, enjoyed time with my family, and attended lots of health and wellness appointments. The support of our team and Board of Directors - coupled with a funder who underwrote my salary for 3 months and a fairy godmother who supported some of my activities - were perhaps the biggest gift I’ve ever received, and I vowed not to waste it. I recognized that it was a real privilege to be given the time to recover from burnout and get well, so I did the hard work of healing, reflection, and rest. I’m happy to report that I feel fully alive again and well and ready to get back to this work I love. 

I learned a lot about myself during this period, and gained valuable perspectives on our work, our organizational culture, and our sector and society beyond that. In my final month away, I met only with our CEO - Integrator, Erik, and our Board Chair, Deb, while mostly reading and learning about the burnout crisis our sector faces, how rest and time off improve creativity and problem solving, about how human beings best work and think, and how to better design workplaces, cultures, and expectations to enhance productivity rather than burn people out. I return with a head full of ideas to pilot around how to maintain accountability and momentum while also centering sustainability and wellbeing so that we can bring our best selves and most innovative ideas to this work until hunger is no longer a chronic and persistent condition. After three months, I by no means claim to be an expert in these practices, but I’m a convert, and I look forward to co-creating how more sustainable – more joyful – leadership might look for all of us. 

I wish you all a peaceful winter season and look forward to connecting in the New Year.  

Teva Sienicki
CEO-Visionary