David Freund, Chief Leadership Officer at the Manufacturers Association of Central New York (MACNY), has returned from a four-week sabbatical and shared his reflections on the experience. In a recent blog post, Freund discussed how stepping away from work and daily routines allowed him to reconsider his priorities and approach to leadership.
Freund spent the first week of his sabbatical with family at Otisco Lake. He described this time as both joyful and an opportunity for reflection. “I kicked things off with a week at Otisco Lake, a place close to my heart, with family. It was a beautiful, activity-packed time filled with laughter, joy, and the kind of chaos that comes with grandchildren enjoying the lake you grew up loving. In the midst of the fun, I carved out some space to reflect, think, and just be,” Freund wrote.
He identified several key realizations during his time away:
“My Priorities Weren’t Lining Up With My Actions
I’ve often shared that my priorities are God, my wife, and my family—in that order. While I’ve been walking faithfully with God and showing up for my family, I came to a sobering realization: I haven’t been living as though my wife is the most important person in my life, and that had to change.
Spending nearly every day with her for four weeks opened my eyes. I saw all the little (and big) things she does every day—things I’d missed in the rush of my usual schedule. Her deep compassion for our parents, our children, our grandchildren, and even those quietly hurting in our church family—it all overwhelmed me in the best way. She serves our community tirelessly and selflessly. I’ve always known she’s amazing, but now I see it more clearly than ever.
Going forward, I’m committing to including her more intentionally in my weekly planning so she’s not just living with my schedule but is informed by it. I want her to know she’s my priority—not just in my words, but in how I live.”
Freund also spoke about discovering the importance of solitude:
“Solitude Is Not a Luxury—It’s a Necessity
During the sabbatical, I rediscovered the gift of quiet. Not the absence of sound, but the kind of solitude that clears the mind and calms the soul. In that quiet space, I thought more clearly, I gained new perspective, and most notably, my stress levels plummeted.
For far too long, I’ve been operating at a frantic pace—one that made sense when I was running factories, but doesn’t fit my life now. I’ve been waking up early, hitting my day hard, stacking back-to-back meetings, and barely coming up for air.
That frantic pace is over.
From now on, I’m building space into my day. My morning devotion time will be extended—not just for prayer and Scripture but for reflection and quiet thinking. I’m actually blocking time to think. I’m spacing out meetings; I’ve even made a rule for myself that colors on my calendar aren’t allowed to touch.
Solitude is no longer something I’ll squeeze in if there’s time; it’s now part of the plan.”
He further noted changes he plans regarding professional focus:
“Focusing on Relationships Over Revenue
Over the past decade I’ve worked hard to grow training revenue at MACNY and we’ve succeeded in that while also delivering great content and strong value. However if I’m honest,my focus was always on ‘more.’ It was always more clients,m ore offerings,m ore revenue.
That ‘more’ mindset is shifting.Going forward,I want to focus on building relationships.I want to sit with people understand their gifts,and help them grow into them.I want to spend more time encouraging people in their efforts not just their outcomes .While results matter ,people matter more.”
Freund added an observation about appreciating everyday beauty after seeing his parents enjoy local scenery during their visit:
“One moment stands out from my sabbatical that I’ll never forget.During our week at lake,my wife &I brought parents for lunch w/ family.On drive out &back they kept pointing out scenery—the trees,hills,vistas.They were filled w/ joy seeing beauty every curve road.Here’s thing:I had driven same stretch five or six times already…& noticed none of it.That realization stopped me…I’ve been rushing through life so fast missing what’s right front me…That’s not who want be anymore…”
He concluded by encouraging others to consider taking similar breaks: “This sabbatical gave me reset didn’t know needed.It reminded what matters where need realign life.In next post share more realizations came out this time,but for now leave you this:slowing down doesn’t mean falling behind.Sometimes only way catch up what really matters.”
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