Over the past year, I’ve quietly told people about my plan to take a three month sabbatical. If this is the first you’re learning of this, starting April 21st I’ll be away from email, calls, meetings and texts until late July. I’ll be traveling through South Africa, Europe and SE Asia with my fiancé Tehillah in search of the most meaningful experiences we can find around the world.
While one of the motivators for the sabbatical is the desire to travel, the other is to ensure Pencils of Promise doesn’t fall victim to the traditional “founders syndrome” many organizations face when the founder micromanages staff and doesn’t allow the team, board, advisors and supporters to make the org theirs as well. I envision PoP being a leader in global education for the next 50 years, and I genuinely believe the single best thing I can do for our longterm growth is to step away for a few months, allowing our leadership team to truly lead.
So for the next three months I’ll be hiking, dancing, swimming, cooking, laughing and loving. PoP will belong to each of you, and in the process it will become stronger and smarter.
Years ago I asked a young boy on the street what he wanted most in the world and his answer (“a pencil”) changed my life. Now, it’s time to live out my answer to that very same question.
