Great leaders understand that rest is not an enemy to productivity.

Building margins for rest is an absolute necessity to be an effective leader!

• Strategic downtime allows opportunity to refresh.
• Powering down provides the time for renewed creativity.
• Leaders should rest to become more productive.

Think about it, the God of creation worked six days but, on that seventh He rested! Jesus reinforced this when He was challenged by some Pharisees in Mark 2:27, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, not people meet the requirements of the Sabbath.”

• Rest is a gift.

However, leaders tend to redline rather than build a healthy rhythm.

• Some hold a high stressed schedule as a badge of honor.
• Their families suffer because they never have an “off” switch.
• Work becomes their identity.

Yet, research shows that ultimately they perform at a much lower level than counterparts who regularly disengage. Even Jesus habitually separated from the pace of life and went into the mountains to regroup (Matthew 14:23).

A healthy pace doesn’t happen by accident. It must be scheduled. These three times should be considered when building breaks into the work routine.

1. Build in a weekly hiatus. A day when you are free to rest. This is not the same thing as a day off to get the yard mowed, run errands or get the car serviced. This is a day when you disconnect and focus on replenishing.
2. There are times when multiple days should be taken. This season may be triggered by severe emotional stress where the leader is susceptible to burnout. Leaders may require time away to sustain their physical stamina or to protect their marital relationship.
3. There are situations that require an extended time away.

Here are some keys for extended breaks.

• Decide what type of rest is needed, emotional, physical, spiritual, relational or mental. This is important because there needs to be a focus during the time away.
• Determine the place or environment needed to best facilitate replenishment. It could be a beach, a mountain lodge, a reputable counseling center or a coffee shop.
• Decide when and put it on the calendar, schedule it. Lock it in and make the commitment necessary to act on it.
• Determine if there is a need for specific resources. Resources could include books, recreational equipment, counselors, friends, family or finances.
• Decide how you will detach and implement that plan. This would involve email, phones, text, social media, and delegating responsibilities.
• Determine the parameters for re-entry. This will allow totally detachment until it is time to re-engage. The plan might involve having a co-leader or an administrative assistant prioritize the workload that has accumulated. Determine how many days out emails, text, phone calls will be reinstated. A re-entry plan sets everyone’s expectations and provides the guidelines necessary for a healthy break.
• Deliberately secure accountability. Allow an outside voice to speak into your schedule?

There isn’t a “one size fits all” when it comes to taking time off. Every leader is wired uniquely. A wise leader will shift their negative perspective about rest and incorporate a

rhythm that is right for them. At the end of the day, rest is the primary purpose…..because Great leaders understand that rest is not an enemy to productivity.

Wrong hires are often the result of a poor interview process. The world is full of stunning résumés and well-coached applicants. It is also full of interview processes that involve little more than subjective conversations. Most are filled with typical interview questions. Where do you want to be in five years? Blah, Blah, Blah! Then it’s cross your fingers, wait and see if this works out.

Here are some shortcomings with the typical hiring process.

1. It’s about filling a position rather than recruiting the best person. The interviewer can be swayed by the candidate’s résumé, the candidate’s interview skills or an affinity with the candidate’s personality (or lack thereof). An open position is better than employing a person who will be detrimental in the long run.
2. It’s about looking for a skill set rather than discovering the overall fit. It should be about the team and the culture as well. The interviewer can presume upon the candidate and the team they will be working alongside. A failure to scrutinize chemistry and character can be overlooked because of the candidate’s competency. Every hiring manager wants the “Lebron James” of their world.

3. It’s about the standard job description rather than assessing the true needs. The interviewer is left with references to vet, job experiences to review and a task focused job description to employee the best candidate. Now they are trying to hire a square peg for a round hole. Other considerations must be given to qualifications, behavioral traits and skill sets needed for the candidate to be successful with the team, the culture and the mission.

4. It’s about the compensation and benefits packages rather than casting the vision for the candidate’s role. The interviewer represents the company’s assets rather than the company’s vision, values and culture. The candidate becomes a hireling instead of a vital team member. A vision-oriented employee will serve but an entitled employee will only take.

How to break the mold? Here are some considerations that might be better than the normal template!

1. Walk About Interview. Start in the conference room, applicants expect that setting. Now take them on a stroll through the offices. Prepare the team ahead of time. You could even have some of the lead staff dress down to disguise their positions.

• How do they interact with people? Do they respond differently based upon position or do they treat everyone with the same regard? Look for character not charisma.
• What type of questions do they ask? Do they want to know the how or do they want to discover the why? Look for passion not potential.
• When do they get uncomfortable in conversations? Do they want to protect their image, or do they have relational struggles? Look for challenges not chemistry.

2. Curveball Questions. Candidates are ready for the standard questions, now give them something from left field. Strategize with your interview team beforehand.

• Get past the normal who, what, when and why’s of interviewing quickly.
• Ask hypothetical questions about a variety of topics but always get to the why. For example:  If you were dying, what three people would you want closure with and why? You have unlimited resources, what two causes would you want to support and why? Three people survive a plane crash, how do you rescue them?
• Look to discover their true self, not their interview self.

3. Team Talk. The usual interview process involves one person with a questions and answers approach. Try a team approach based upon conversations and interactions. Let the candidate know ahead of time that they will be having this type interaction.

• At some point, bring in players from a variety of departments.
• Make the setting conversational by having some of the team tell their personal story with the organization. You can then ask the candidate to comment on their perspectives regarding culture, values or mission related within the story.
• Allow the candidate to share their story with the team… ask them to focus on their why instead of their what… for example: “why did you enjoy doing that” instead of “what did you do?”
• Look for their personality, their values, their passions and their vulnerability.

Set Expectations: Before they leave the interview!

• When will they hear from you?
• What are the remaining steps before a final decision?
• What is the salary range for the position they are being considered for?

You want to clarify two things here:

1) What will be the starting salary?

2) What salary potential does the role have for their future?

• Do they have a desire to continue in the process?

Hire for the team not for the talent.