Pausing, Reflecting, and Praying: A Leadership Perspective

Pausing, Reflecting, and Praying: A Leadership Perspective

From Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People to David Marquet’s Turn the Ship Around, many of us could rattle off a library of books, authors, and speakers offering insights into leadership. These resources often provide valuable techniques for success, yet most of them, with a few notable exceptions, fail to mention one crucial element: the importance of pausing, reflecting, and—in the Christian context—praying.

I’ll be the first to admit my own guilt here. For years, I’ve measured my success—and that of the teams I’ve led—by busyness and productivity. I’ve equated a sense of achievement with the number of tasks completed or the volume of outcomes produced. My focus has often been fixed on the end goal, always looking ahead to the finished product.

What I’ve rarely valued, however, is the journey itself: the learning, the growth, and the experiences gained along the way. I’ve rarely stopped to celebrate the small victories, to acknowledge the quiet moments of connection, or to measure success in terms of relationships built and lives changed.

The Salvation Army, by its very nature, is a group of busy people. Often described as “Christianity with its sleeves rolled up,” we are accustomed to a culture of busyness. Officers, soldiers, employees, volunteers, and friends pour themselves into service, often driven by a deep desire to make a difference.

As an example, over the recent Christmas period, this busyness was on full display. Many Corps (churches) and centres provided Christmas meals for people in their communities—an incredible expression of love and service. Yet one thing struck me: while it was wonderful to see social media filled with images of people being served, I noticed that those serving rarely paused to sit and share the meal with others. This isn’t a criticism but an observation. In our commitment to serve, we often miss the profound beauty of simply being with those we serve—of pausing, sharing, and finding joy in the moment together.

We’ve heard it all before. I’m not sharing anything new. We all know the importance of pausing, reflecting, and praying. But here’s the question: How many of us actually practice it? How often do we stop in the middle of our busyness to reflect on what God is teaching us, to connect with others, or to simply rest in His presence?

Think about the ways we measure success. Many of us have key performance indicators or other tools to assess our work. But how many of these methods include measures of our wellbeing? How often do we evaluate how much time we’ve spent pausing, reflecting, praying, or building meaningful relationships?

Pause

Reflect 

Pray

Perhaps it’s time to refocus. Perhaps we need to prioritise the journey over the destination (sorry for the cliche!)—valuing relationships, moments of connection, and the lessons we learn along the way as much as, if not more than, the outcomes we achieve.

I’m choosing to pause, reflect, and pray, making this a daily habit—not just for my own sake but to grow my relationship with God, for the sake of those I serve and the relationships I build along the way.

Maybe you’d like to join me on this journey. Together, we can create space to breathe, to listen, to grow, and to find the beauty in the simple moments. Together, we can embrace the rhythm of grace that Jesus offers—a rhythm where pausing is not a weakness but a profound act of faith.

I choose to measure success not by how much I do but by how deeply I pause, reflect, and pray.