Redefining Success

How Fun Fuels Strong Leadership

If you’re a business leader, you’ve probably been taught to measure success in profits, people, and productivity. But how often do you measure your capacity for joy? 



In the high-stakes world of business, fun can feel like a luxury or even a distraction. But Scripture reminds us: “I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful…” (Ecclesiastes 8:15). Fun and recreation aren’t just nice to have. They are a biblical imperative and a critical leadership tool. 

Not a Pie Chart Life 

God did not call us into a “pie chart life,” where we compartmentalize our spiritual life from our work, relationships, or rest. He calls us into a fully integrated life—one where our faith informs every domain, including how we rest, play, and recreate. 



Each month, over 4,000 C12 members use the Life & Leadership Balance Wheel to evaluate 12 key areas of life and stewardship. One of those areas is Fun and Recreation, which is often neglected in leadership circles. But it's just as essential to our flourishing as strategic planning or financial stewardship. 

The Cost of Neglecting Joy

Harvard Business Review found that employees who take breaks and detach from work return with greater focus, creativity, and problem-solving ability. Similarly, Gallup reports that people with high well-being are more than twice as likely to be thriving in their jobs and less likely to experience burnout. Even Forbes notes that leaders who invest in hobbies are more productive, less stressed, and better equipped for creative leadership. 

• These aren’t just nice benefits. They are core to sustaining a healthy, high-performing life and business. 
  

A Self-Check on Fun and Recreation  

If you're unsure whether fun and recreation are a strength or a growth area in your life, take a moment to reflect. On a scale of 1 to 10, how true are the following statements? 

• I regularly make time to enjoy hobbies or recreational activities
• My family and I do fun things together
• Those closest to me would say that I let myself have fun
• I have a regular cadence of pursuing physical and emotional renewal
• I protect and prioritize joy with the same intentionality I give to work responsibilities

If any of these reveal a gap, that’s not a reason for guilt. It’s an opportunity for growth.

How to Grow in This Area 

If fun and recreation are lacking, here are some simple next steps: 

1. Identify one activity that brings you joy, or one you’ve always wanted to try
2. Set a realistic rhythm for that activity—weekly, monthly, quarterly
3. Invite someone else to join you—a spouse, child, friend, or colleague
4. Put it on your calendar and treat it as non-negotiable
5. Share your goal with peers and ask them to hold you accountable

Joy doesn’t just happen. It requires intentionality. But the return on investment is tremendous.

The Measure of True Success 

Jesus asked, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36). A thriving business is no replacement for a thriving soul. The Balance Wheel reminds us that success isn’t found only in spreadsheets. It’s found in stewarding the whole life God has entrusted to us—relationships, rest, and recreation included. 



Make time for fun. Your business, your family, and your soul will be better for it. 

Curious about the C12 Balance Wheel or how to create goals around fun and recreation? Let’s talk. 

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