Rest is not a leadership perk. It is a performance strategy. Our South African NPOs operate in high-pressure environments: this year alone has been a prime example of unpredictable funding cycles, staff burnout, community crises, shifting donor expectations, and complex compliance demands. Without structured rest, leaders unintentionally make poorer decisions, misread risks, and create energy-depleted teams.

A more technical approach to rest frames it as ‘capacity restoration across five domains’.

Each domain replenishes a different leadership function:

1. Physical rest improves alertness and reduces error rates in budgeting, reporting, and programme oversight. Physical rest doesn’t just include sleep, but resetting your routines with good food, exercise and sleep.
2. Mental rest restores decision-making clarity and strategic prioritisation. Put away your phone! Being on-call and chasing info 24/7 has been proven to take a huge toll on mental health. Take the time to be off screens and in the real world.
3. Creative rest boosts problem-solving — essential for leaders navigating resource-constrained environments. Pull out those puzzles, your unused art supplies and even your power tools. Regular creative activities keep our hands busy while our minds reset and are free to think.
4. Social rest strengthens relational leadership and team morale. Spend time with friends and family who fill your tank, not with those who drain you dry. When you have social capacity, you’ll interact better with your team.
5. Spiritual rest reconnects leaders to purpose, reducing mission drift. Make sure that you find time to pray, journal and meditate.

Let’s make this practical.

Are you prioritising rest in the coming year?  Which of the five domains do YOU need to focus on in 2026?

Would you like some time consulting about rest as a performance strategy? Our NPO coaches and mentors are standing by to help you to boost rest as a performance strategy.

Unlock your potential for 2026 by incorporating this important yet often neglected leadership strength: rest.