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

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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

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello everyone, nathan Freeberg here.
Welcome back to the LeadershipVision podcast, our show helping
you build positive team culture.
Today's episode is short andreflective, something a little
different to mark Labor Day herein the United States.
If you didn't know, labor Daywas established back in the 19th
century to honor thecontributions of workers and the
labor movement.
It's a day to rest, yes, but Ithink also a day to reflect on

(00:23):
the meaning and value of workitself.
Now, recently, I came acrossthe ancient Benedictine
philosophy of work kind ofrandom I know, but it surprised
me with how relevant it felt formodern teams, leaders and,
honestly, anyone feelingstretched thin.
So today's podcast is a shortreflection grounded in some very
old wisdom, but also adaptedfor all of us trying to do

(00:46):
meaningful work in a modernworld.
Brian and Linda will be backnext week as we continue diving
into the big ideas from theirbook Unfolded.
I'm going to start with a phrasethat's guided Benedictine monks
for over 1,500 years Ora etlabora pray and work.
Now, if you're not familiar,benedictine monks are part of a

(01:06):
Christian monastic traditionthat began in the 6th century,
founded by Saint Benedict ofNerissa.
The monks lived in communityand devoted their lives to a
rhythm of prayer, work, study,rest, not a lot of play, but
let's assume play was in theretoo.
But the point isn't to getspiritual here, at least not in
a religious sense.

(01:27):
The phrase pray and work isabout more than religion.
It's about seeing work as partof a whole life, not something
separate from who we are or whowe want to become.
Now here are a few things thatstood out to me and maybe
they'll shift how you thinkabout work too.
The first one is that work issacred.
The Benedictines don't separatespiritual from practical.

(01:50):
Whether they're mopping floors,making cheese, brewing beer,
roasting coffee or makingfurniture, it's all meaningful.
Now, what if the emails, themeetings, the spreadsheets, what
if all those things that we doas part of our work is also part
of something bigger?
The second idea is that workneeds rhythm.

(02:11):
Now the Benedictines spendtheir days intentionally
balanced Time for focused work,time for reflection, time to
rest, maybe time for play too.
So my question is what rhythmsare shaping your team right now?
Are they helping or hurtingyour long-term sustainability
for your team and yourself?
Number three is that workserves the community In the

(02:35):
monastery.
Your task, whatever it is, isfor the good of everyone for the
collective.
So imagine a culture whereeveryone saw their role as
essential to the whole, not incompetition, but in contribution
.
What if the person at the verytop and the person at the
proverbial bottom, what if theyall saw their role as essential,

(02:56):
as contributing to the big, bigpicture?
The fourth idea here isexcellence with simplicity.
Now, there's a strong ethic ofcare, of doing things well, with
attention, but not with excess.
It's about stewardship overshowmanship, a challenge maybe
in a world driven by performanceand metrics.
What does that mean to you?

(03:17):
And fifth and finally, is thatwork forms us.
The Benedictines believe thathow we work, especially when no
one is watching, shapes who webecome.
It builds character, patienceand humility.
It's not just about gettingthings done.
It's about how you're beingformed in the process.

(03:37):
So today, whether you're leadinga team, running a company,
raising kids or just figuringout what your next move is, what
the next chapter in your lifeis, I invite you to reflect on
the following.
Number one what is your currentrelationship with work?
Number two where might you needmore balance, more intention or
a shift in perspective?
And maybe most importantly, howare you shaping others through

(03:59):
the way that you work and theway that you lead.
Thanks for listening to theLeadership Vision Podcast,
wishing you and your team ameaningful Labor Day, wherever
you're at in the world.
We hope it's a day that helpsyou see your work not just as a
task, but as part of somethingwhole, something that shapes,
something that serves and maybeeven something that restores.
Please subscribe to our podcastwherever you get your podcast

(04:23):
and share it with someone thatyou think might benefit from
this new idea of work.
We'll see you next week withnew episodes.
I'm Nathan Freeberg and, onbehalf of our entire team,
thanks for listening.