In sports and in business there sometimes comes a moment when the game forces you to the sidelines. Maybe it's a layoff. Maybe you are facing burnout. Maybe it's just time to step back and refocus. For most, that moment feels like failure. But for a select few, it becomes a catalyst.
Tom Thibodeau, now pacing the sidelines as head coach of the New York Knicks in the NBA playoffs, knows that feeling all too well. After highly publicized exits from both the Chicago Bulls and the Minnesota Timberwolves, Thibodeau faced a fork in the road. He could have vacationed during this downtime or wallow over being without a coaching gig.
But that’s not what Thibodeau did. He turned his time off into a masterclass in leadership, treating it like a sabbatical—a concept many of us in the business world talk about but few truly understand. While most people rest during downtime, the great ones reinvest it.
I ran into Thibodeau in a Salt Lake City hotel bar during one of his "gap year" engagements. When I asked what he was doing with all his time off, his eyes lit up as he explained how he was traveling and learning from great coaches, including then Utah Jazz Coach Quin Snyder. And he wasn’t just talking to basketball coaches. He was studying leadership across disciplines.
“It was an opportunity to grow,” he said. “I wanted to learn from the best, wherever I could find them.”
Thibodeau embedded himself with NBA franchises like the Jazz, Rockets, Kings, and Warriors, while also connecting with Gregg Popovich, the coach who led the Spurs to five NBA titles, to ask questions. Instead of walking with a clipboard, he came in with a notebook—and a beginner’s mindset, including having questions to ask. Thibodeau didn’t limit himself to just basketball. He studied leaders from baseball and football, too. Hall of Fame baseball manager Tony La Russa became a mentor. Bill Belichick opened up the New England Patriots’ practices to the basketball coach. So did legendary college basketball coaches like Jim Boeheim and Mike “Coach K" Krzyzewski. Thibodeau watched, asked questions, and took notes.
PHOENIX, AZ - DECEMBER 11: Chief Baseball Officer Tony La Russa of the Arizona Diamondbacks speaks ... More to the media during a press conference introducing pitcher Zack Greinke at Chase Field on December 11, 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images)Getty Images
“Think about his choices,” La Russa told the New York Times about Thibodeau’s gap years. “He could have sat around and felt sorry for himself. He could have learned to play a sport like golf. He could have taken a trip around the world. Instead, he knew that he had his career in front of him, and he did exactly what you would expect from Tom: He was going to use that time to learn.”
Let that settle in. When life pulled Thibodeau off the court, he didn’t hit pause, he hit reset. That mindset doesn’t just apply to basketball. It's a blueprint for executives, entrepreneurs, and leaders in every industry.
More professionals are taking what Jack Kelly, a career strategist who writes for Forbes, calls “mini-sabbaticals” or gap years—not because they’re lazy or disengaged, but because they’re strategic. According Kelly, more than half of American workers reported burnout in 2023. A break might be what you need, and a purposeful one might just change your trajectory.
“A gap year allows individuals to reflect on their careers, realign their professional goals, and return to work with renewed focus and drive,” Kelly wrote. But—and this is key—only if that year is used wisely.
The same holds true for students. It’s currently college and high school graduation season and many of the graduates are thinking about taking a year off before their next step. While that kind of gap year isn’t for everyone, Robert Farrington from Forbes found some of the students who use that time wisely could earn more and achieve greater career satisfaction down the road.
“The opportunity cost of taking a gap year will depend on how students spend their time,” Farrington wrote. “If they head overseas to learn about the world and study a new language, that could be an incredible investment on their part. The same is true if students participate in important internships or mature another year so they're ready to take college seriously.”
However, Farrington offered a warning for students who waste that gap year. “If a student takes a year off without accomplishing anything or winds up losing all motivation, on the other hand, the price tag for a gap year won't be worth it in the end,” Farrington noted.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 07: Head coaches Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs and Tom ... More Thibodeau of the New York Knicks shake hands following their game game at AT&T Center on December 07, 2021 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that , by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)Getty Images
If the gap year leads to more focus and clarity, the return on investment is extraordinary. That’s what Thibodeau did. He sought out greatness, watching how Gregg Popovich, Coach K, and Bill Belichick built systems—not just a team—that won championships and achieved sustainable success over the years.
“You always study guys that have done great things,” Thibodeau told ESPN. “You learn from them. To be able to do it year after year for such a long period of time, to me that's the mark of greatness.”
Thibodeau intentionally stepped back to move forward and studied greatness inside and outside his industry. He did not see his downtime as time off, using it to better himself and grow. That’s the kind of wisdom every business leader should internalize and follow when necessary. Thibodeau’s story reminds us that legacy isn't built in the wins and losses alone. It's also built in how we handle the in-between, the quiet seasons that often define our futures.
Thibodeau offers all of us a powerful reminder that sabbaticals should not be wasted. When done right, they can be one of the most transformative decisions a leader can make.