Why Slow Work Is Still Sacred Work

Leadership Lessons from a Village in Malawi

This is part two, so if you missed part one, let me know and I’ll make sure you get it.

During our week in Malawi, we spent a good amount of time in Chiwaya Village, just outside of Blantyre, and we got our hands dirty.

• We painted.
• We played.
• We laughed with kids.
• We made music.
• We listened to stories.
• We told stories.

It was slow work.
And it was sacred.

In the modern leadership world, we’re told that fast is king.
Scale quickly. Grow exponentially. Move at the speed of opportunity.

But Malawi reminded me there’s another way to view time… they call it, Malawi Time.

And if I could sum it up, it might sound something like:
Sometimes the most meaningful work moves at the pace of relationships.

In Chiwaya, no one was rushing.
The joy was real. The connection was deep. And the impact? Quiet, but lasting.

We weren’t measuring the day by how many emails we answered or how many Slack messages we sent.

We were measuring the day by faces, by songs, by moments of shared humanity.

And that’s a leadership truth I’ll carry with me forever.

Because when leaders slow down, they:

• Hear what’s not being said
• See the people they’re leading
• Build trust that lasts longer than results

So here’s your challenge:

📍What would it look like to slow down this week, not just to get things done, but to lead with presence, patience, and purpose?

Whether you’re building a business or a ministry, momentum is important—but so is margin.

And when you make space for sacred, slow work, you’re not falling behind…

You’re actually leading from ahead.

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