David Freund, Chief Leadership Officer at the Manufacturers Association of Central New York (MACNY), has shared further insights from his recent four-week sabbatical. In a follow-up to his previous reflections, Freund described the difficulty of maintaining positive changes upon returning to daily routines.
Freund noted that despite his intentions to slow down and avoid a hectic schedule, old habits have begun to resurface. “When I shared this with my coach the other day, I already knew what his response would be: ‘So Dave, what are you going to do about it?’ In that moment I made a commitment that over the next two weeks I will focus on maintaining the changes I wanted to make,” he wrote.
He emphasized the importance of slowing down in order to work more effectively. According to Freund, rushing through tasks leads to mistakes and missed opportunities for reflection. He admitted that even writing his latest post was delayed due to pre-existing commitments and a lack of time for thoughtful processing.
Freund also highlighted the value of silence and reflection for leaders. “Silence gives us the gift of clarity. In quiet moments, we can think, plan, and evaluate with intention. We can gauge whether our decisions are grounded or if we’re just reacting to emotion. Leaders especially need this kind of space; a time to reflect deeply before moving forward,” he stated.
Drawing on advice from leadership expert John Maxwell, Freund likened deep thinking to marinating food—arguing that allowing ideas time to develop leads to better outcomes than rushing through them.
Reflecting on his role at MACNY after 13 years in leadership development, Freund said he plans to teach courses at a deeper level based on lived experience rather than theory alone. He acknowledged learning more from failures than successes and encouraged openness about personal growth journeys.
He concluded by inviting others in the MACNY community to help keep him accountable: “Here’s where I need your help: hold me accountable. If you take a class with me or see me at an upcoming MACNY event, ask me how I’m doing with my times of silence and reflection. Nudge me if you see me slipping back into the noise. Together, we can take our leadership mindset and raise it to an even higher level.”
###
