How Leadership can Prevent Burnout

If you're feeling burned out by the end of the week, It's not just because of hours worked: In reality, the roots of burnout run much deeper. Leaders must learn to recognize when it's happening, and take action to fix it. Use this sheet to identify causes of burnout in your org, And work to make things better before it's too late: 1) Excessive workload ↳Problem: Work keeps piling up, with no sign of relief ↳Solution: Hire adequately and give people what they need - it'll cost less than turnover 2) Unnecessary urgency ↳Problem: Deadlines are unrealistic, with constant fire drills ↳Solution: Determine what's truly urgent, set realistic timelines, communicate 3) Micromanagement ↳Problem: Employees lack autonomy and feel like someone's always watching ↳Solution: Make trust a central part of the culture and involve employees in decisions 4) Unclear expectations ↳Problem: The company lacks clarity around roles and goals ↳Solution: Create clear job descriptions and specific targets 5) No balance ↳Problem: Days off, time for family, and time to recharge are rare ↳Solution: Make balance a priority, starting with senior leaders modeling it 6) Inadequate support ↳Problem: Leaders provide little support, leaving employees isolated ↳Solution: Train managers, require 1:1s, create a mentorship program 7) Toxicity ↳Problem: Negativity and hostility go unchecked ↳Solution: Fire toxic employees, no matter who they are or how they perform 8) Lack of career growth ↳Problem: Employees feel stuck in their roles with few opportunities to move up ↳Solution: Ask about career goals, provide trainings, prioritize internal promotions 9) Constant change ↳Problem: There are constant changes in leadership, policies, and ways of doing things ↳Solution: Limit unnecessary changes and involve employees in planning 10) Poor communication ↳Problem: Limited communication from leadership causes confusion and stress ↳Solution: Provide regular updates, and welcome questions and feedback from all levels 11) Limited appreciation ↳Problem: Despite the hard work, leaders rarely give recognition ↳Solution: Create a formal recognition program, celebrate wins, say thank you often 12) Pressure to perform ↳Problem: Unreasonably high expectations and overreactions to mistakes ↳Solution: Make growth the prized trait - not perfection 13) Unfairness ↳Problem: Unequal treatment or favoritism leads to resentment ↳Solution: Make promotions and evaluations transparent and merit-based 14) Monotonous work ↳Problem: Tasks are repetitive and unchallenging ↳Solution: Give employees time to work on creative or stretch projects 15) Inadequate pay ↳Problem: Hard work and high performance are not matched with strong compensation ↳Solution: Pay competitively, give raises generously, and provide strong benefits Any I'm missing that you've seen lead to burnout? --- Credit to Dora Vanourek for inspiration. --- ♻ Repost to share with your network. And follow me George Stern for more.

Burnout is a leadership problem, not a team issue. Here are 7 mistakes you need to avoid: (and what to do instead) 1/ Constant urgency:   ↳ Clearly define what qualifies as urgent.   ↳ Implement better planning to reduce unnecessary stress.   ↳ Pro Tip: Schedule weekly planning sessions to prioritize. 2/ Ignoring work-life balance:   ↳ Encourage time off and set boundaries.   ↳ Model healthy work habits yourself.   ↳ Pro Tip: Set a "no emails after hours" policy for everyone. 3/ Repetitive tasks without variety:   ↳ Rotate responsibilities or introduce new challenges.   ↳ Automate where possible to reduce monotony.   ↳ Pro Tip: Use Tango to streamline repetitive tasks. 4/ Lack of transparency:   ↳ Communicate openly about decisions and changes.   ↳ Involve your team in discussions where possible.   ↳ Pro Tip: Share weekly updates about challenges. 5/ Inconsistent feedback:   ↳ Provide regular, constructive feedback.   ↳ Address issues promptly instead of waiting for reviews.   ↳ Pro Tip: Implement monthly one-on-one check-ins. 6/ Unrealistic expectations:   ↳ Set achievable goals based on your team's capacity.   ↳ Prioritize quality over quantity.   ↳ Pro Tip: Break goals into smaller, measurable milestones. 7/ Neglecting team development:   ↳ Invest in training and growth opportunities.   ↳ Encourage continuous learning and upskilling.   ↳ Pro Tip: Allocate a budget for team training or courses. Remember, burnout prevention is leadership at its best. • Share weekly updates about challenges. • Use Tango to streamline repetitive tasks. • Allocate a budget for team training or courses. • Schedule weekly planning sessions to prioritize. • Break goals into smaller, measurable milestones. • Set a "no emails after hours" policy for everyone. Preventing burnout isn’t just a priority. It’s how great leaders create lasting success. ♻️ Repost for those dealing with burnout.

Don't wait for toxicity to become a crisis. Emotionally intelligent organizations create a culture with real accountability for eliminating these behaviors and practices. They actively cultivate environments where people and business thrive together. This image highlights a reality that too many workplaces tolerate and normalize: environments where toxic behaviors slowly erode morale, trust, and performance. When these issues are left unaddressed, even the most talented and emotionally intelligent employees burn out, disengage, or leave altogether. What’s important here is that almost every toxic behavior listed—low salaries, micromanagement, incompetent leadership, office politics—stems from a failure of emotional intelligence at the leadership level. Emotionally intelligent leaders understand that people thrive where they feel valued, trusted, and supported. They recognize the direct link between an employee’s emotional well-being and their performance. For leaders and organizations, the takeaway is simple: these behaviors aren't "just the way business works." They are choices. Leaders can choose to: ✅ Prioritize fair compensation: Because undervaluing people financially signals a lack of respect. ✅ Lead with competence and humility: Admitting what you don’t know and surrounding yourself with people who complement your weaknesses is a strength. ✅ Build a healthy culture: Trust, safety, and fairness should be non-negotiable. ✅ Empower, don’t control: Micromanagement kills creativity. Trust builds ownership. ✅ Set boundaries: Sustainable performance requires rest, recovery, and personal time. ✅ Invest in growth: Training and development keep employees engaged and your organization adaptive. ✅ Practice recognition: Small, consistent acknowledgment fuels motivation. ✅ Eliminate politics: Transparency, fairness, and merit should drive decision. --- ♻️ Like and repost if this resonates. ➕ Follow Travis Bradberry for more and sign up for my weekly LinkedIn newsletter. Do you want more like this? 👇 📖 My new book, "The New Emotional Intelligence" is now 10% off on Amazon and it's already a bestseller.

𝗔 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗢𝘂𝘁 Have you ever had a high-performer say: 𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘯-𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭. 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘹-𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘺. That’s exactly what a CEO shared at a recent 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴. His most reliable senior manager, normally a rock, hit a breaking point. The culprit? A season of 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀, & 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀—a recipe for burnout. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀? This situation reveals critical lessons about 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, & 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 to prevent burnout. 🔹 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗸𝗮𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 The CEO assumed his manager was fine because he always had been. But stoic high achievers often hide their struggles. And everyone has their limits. 🔹 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 The manager had been carrying a heavy load due to staff shortages. The expectation that employees will simply absorb additional workload creates 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲. 🔹 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 When was the last time you really checked in with your team? • 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺? • 𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 need any 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴? • 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱? High achievers may not openly admit they’re struggling, but consistent, meaningful check-ins can create space for them to be honest. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁? Once burnout happens, expecting immediate recovery is unrealistic. A burned-out worker needs months to recover. Here’s what leaders can do: ✅ 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁 Burnout doesn’t happen overnight. Was this person showing micro-clues before breaking? Increased frustration, withdrawal, or signs of exhaustion? Noticing burnout clues is key. ✅ 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸-𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 After periods of heavy workload, ask your team: • 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘨𝘰? • 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴? This is about running a sustainable organization where employees don’t break under pressure. ✅ 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲𝘀 Not everyone is comfortable discussing stress openly. Try speaking in their language: 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦’𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘢 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯. 𝘏𝘰𝘸’𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨? 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁, 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘁. #Leadership #EmployeeRetention #BanishBurnout

The Leadership Lie That’s Quietly Burning You Out The truth in leadership? You can’t pour into others when your own cup is empty. And yet, modern leadership culture rewards burnout. Late-night emails are praised as “dedication.” Skipping lunch is seen as “grit.” Being constantly available is mistaken for “commitment.” But the data tells a different story: - 83% of managers report symptoms of burnout (Gallup, 2023) - Teams led by fatigued leaders experience 42% lower engagement (McKinsey) - Burned-out leadership costs an average of $187,000/year in lost productivity (Stanford) Burnout isn’t just an individual health issue—it’s a leadership performance issue. When leaders run on empty: Strategic thinking narrows into reactive firefighting Communication becomes terse and transactional Empathy the foundation of trust fades The result? Disengaged teams, short-sighted decisions, and high-performer turnover. - The 5-Minute Morning Audit Before leading others, ask: “What emotional energy am I bringing into the room today?” Presence is a strategic asset. So is self-awareness. The Boundary Blueprint Sustainable leaders are ruthless with their time and energy: Set a stop for communication (e.g. no emails after 7 PM) Build in quarterly solo retreats or reflection time—even just a half-day of strategic solitude With 68% of employees now feeling disconnected from leadership (McKinsey), burnout isn’t just a personal risk—it’s a cultural liability. And in the age of always-on work, modeling sustainability isn’t soft. It’s strategic leadership. Because high performance doesn’t come from working harder. It comes from leading with energy, clarity, and intention. #SustainableLeadership #ExecutivePerformance #BurnoutPrevention #EnergyLeadership #LeadFromFull

Toxic leadership doesn’t just hurt performance. It hurts people. 👇 📉 Stress 📉 Anxiety 📉 Burnout 📉 Sleepless nights It’s more than frustration. It’s physical, emotional, and long-term. Here’s what poor management leads to: ❌ Trust breaks down ↳ Employees feel unsafe and constantly on edge. ❌ Health deteriorates ↳ Chronic stress from bad bosses causes real damage. ❌ Retention drops ↳ People don’t leave companies—they leave managers. ❌ Culture collapses ↳ Toxic leadership infects entire teams. But there’s a better way: ✅ Train managers on emotional intelligence ↳ Soft skills aren’t optional—they’re essential. ✅ Encourage psychological safety ↳ People thrive where they feel heard and respected. ✅ Set boundaries & model balance ↳ When leaders overwork, teams follow. ✅ Watch for signs of burnout ↳ Disengagement, silence, and stress are all signals. ✅ Make well-being part of the culture ↳ Recognize effort, not just outcomes. Leaders—your influence goes beyond performance. You impact human health every day. ❓ What’s your organization doing to lead with care? ♻️ Repost to promote healthier leadership. 👋 I write posts like this every day at 9:30am EST. Follow me (Dr. Chris Mullen) so you don't miss the next one.