Work That Shapes Us: A Labor Day Reflection on Purpose and Leadership

In this short Labor Day reflection, host Nathan Freeburg shares an unexpected leadership insight inspired by the Benedictine monks’ philosophy of work. Drawing on the ancient motto Ora et Labora—“Pray and Work”—this episode explores how viewing our work as sacred, balanced, and community-driven can transform the way we lead and build team culture.

Whether you're running a team, leading a company, or simply reevaluating your relationship with work, this episode invites you to reframe work as more than just a task—it’s a shaping force.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Work is meaningful—no matter the task. When approached with purpose, even the most mundane activities can become opportunities for making an impact and fostering growth.
• Rhythm beats hustle. The Benedictine daily structure offers a sustainable model of balance between deep work, rest, reflection, and community.
• We’re shaped by how we work. The habits we form through work influence who we become as leaders and teammates.
• Leadership is communal, not just individual. Reframing work as something done with and for others builds stronger, healthier cultures.

Links Mentioned:

• Gallup – Purpose and Engagement in the Workplace (2023)
• Microsoft Work Trend Index

🎉 Unfolded is a National Bestseller!
#1 in Business & #5 Overall on USA Today
#17 on Publisher’s Weekly Nonfiction
📘 Grab your copy + get the FREE Reflection Guide!

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Work Reflection
• 2:24 Benedictine Philosophy of Work
• 3:25 Five Key Work Principles
• 5:23 Questions for Personal Reflection
• 6:05 Closing Thoughts and Call to Action

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:53

Hello everyone, nathan Freeberg here. Welcome back to the Leadership Vision podcast, our show helping you build positive team culture. Today's episode is short and reflective, something a little different to mark Labor Day here in the United States. If you didn't know, labor Day was established back in the 19th century to honor the contributions of workers and the labor movement. It's a day to rest, yes, but I think also a day to reflect on the meaning and value of work itself. Now, recently, I came across the ancient Benedictine philosophy of work kind of random I know, but it surprised me with how relevant it felt for modern teams, leaders and, honestly, anyone feeling stretched thin. So today's podcast is a short reflection grounded in some very old wisdom, but also adapted for all of us trying to do meaningful work in a modern world. Brian and Linda will be back next week as we continue diving into the big ideas from their book Unfolded.

Speaker 1: 1:48

I'm going to start with a phrase that's guided Benedictine monks for over 1,500 years Ora et labora pray and work. Now, if you're not familiar, benedictine monks are part of a Christian monastic tradition that began in the 6th century, founded by Saint Benedict of Nerissa. The monks lived in community and devoted their lives to a rhythm of prayer, work, study, rest, not a lot of play, but let's assume play was in there too. But the point isn't to get spiritual here, at least not in a religious sense. The phrase pray and work is about more than religion. It's about seeing work as part of a whole life, not something separate from who we are or who we want to become. Now here are a few things that stood out to me and maybe they'll shift how you think about work too. The first one is that work is sacred. The Benedictines don't separate spiritual from practical. Whether they're mopping floors, making cheese, brewing beer, roasting coffee or making furniture, it's all meaningful. Now, what if the emails, the meetings, the spreadsheets, what if all those things that we do as part of our work is also part of something bigger?

Speaker 1: 3:02

The second idea is that work needs rhythm. Now the Benedictines spend their days intentionally balanced Time for focused work, time for reflection, time to rest, maybe time for play too. So my question is what rhythms are shaping your team right now? Are they helping or hurting your long-term sustainability for your team and yourself? Number three is that work serves the community In the monastery. Your task, whatever it is, is for the good of everyone for the collective. So imagine a culture where everyone saw their role as essential to the whole, not in competition, but in contribution. What if the person at the very top and the person at the proverbial bottom, what if they all saw their role as essential, as contributing to the big, big picture?

Speaker 1: 3:53

The fourth idea here is excellence with simplicity. Now, there's a strong ethic of care, of doing things well, with attention, but not with excess. It's about stewardship over showmanship, a challenge maybe in a world driven by performance and metrics. What does that mean to you? And fifth and finally, is that work forms us. The Benedictines believe that how we work, especially when no one is watching, shapes who we become. It builds character, patience and humility. It's not just about getting things done. It's about how you're being formed in the process.

Speaker 1: 4:30

So today, whether you're leading a team, running a company, raising kids or just figuring out what your next move is, what the next chapter in your life is, I invite you to reflect on the following. Number one what is your current relationship with work? Number two where might you need more balance, more intention or a shift in perspective? And maybe most importantly, how are you shaping others through the way that you work and the way that you lead. Thanks for listening to the Leadership Vision Podcast, wishing you and your team a meaningful Labor Day, wherever you're at in the world. We hope it's a day that helps you see your work not just as a task, but as part of something whole, something that shapes, something that serves and maybe even something that restores. Please subscribe to our podcast wherever you get your podcast and share it with someone that you think might benefit from this new idea of work. We'll see you next week with new episodes. I'm Nathan Freeberg and, on behalf of our entire team, thanks for listening.