Seven years into cofounding a social impact credit scoring firm, DJ burned out and took a sabbatical that changed the direction of his life. Determined to change the way the world thinks about time off, he teamed up with social science researchers to discover the role that extended leave has played in our society. What they found may surprise you.
Those who set out on sabbaticals weren’t opting out of capitalism or traditional success—quite the opposite. Some of America’s most famed entrepreneurs, athletes, and actors, like Marc Benioff, Ashleigh Barty, and Martin Sheen, credit sabbaticals for their achievements. And perhaps more important now than ever, sabbaticals help clarify what’s truly important. The people behind some of the most innovative solutions to climate change, from electrification of airplanes to artificial meat, found their inspiration during their sabbatical.
If you have something you’ve been aching to do, or if you’re feeling stuck at work or in life, learn how taking extended leave can help you recover, find your purpose, and maybe even save the world.
Bio: Dennis “DJ” DiDonna is a Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at Harvard Business School. In 2019, DJ founded The Sabbatical Project to define, explore, and research sabbaticals. On his sabbatical, DJ walked 900 miles on pilgrimage in Shikoku, Japan and ran a poverty research lab (LEO) at his alma mater Notre Dame. DiDonna previously cofounded EFL Global, a fintech for-profit social enterprise which enabled over $2B in capital to underbanked businesses and individuals across 20+ countries before being acquired in 2018.
