Beating Burnout
“In a culture where people believe that working hard can overcome any obstacle, reality teaches us that we have limitations. We burn out.” ~Jay Wren
It’s real and it can happen to even the best leader. Burnout is very common particularly in high performance leaders with as many as 72% of them admitting to it openly. In my experience, it is my best leaders I have to watch out for when it comes to burn out. They are problem solvers, love a challenge, and find satisfaction in accomplishment. They make sure action is taken and produce high quality results. They have extreme ownership in the organization.
If any leader goes into burnout, who benefits? No one. The team will suffer, impacting productivity, workplace culture and even employee retention. A large part of teaching leaders to lead-by-example is to make sure they are aware of their own body, mental state and knowing when to stop.
In the plant world putting fertilizer on a plant to grow is good as long as it gets water, sunshine and has good soil to grow in. Adding three times as much fertilizer to the plant than is recommended does not grow the plant faster, stronger, or taller. Too much fertilizer will cause the plant tissue to look burned. The leaves turn brown along the edges and the plant can die.
Make sure your strong leaders are getting proper nourishment. How are they at getting refreshed, refilled, and renewed? It is hard for them to inspire others if their cup is empty. Feed them at work, let them have some fun and down time on the job. Help create systems and solutions that move your high performer out of the center of the equation. Do all customer service calls really need to go through them? Are they the only ones who can do scheduling?
Make sure they get time off the job and off their electronic devices. Don’t call them or email them after hours. Let them recharge. Make sure that leader gets a day off without a guilt trip from the boss. Vacations can work wonders to stop burn out. Help them understand how to delegate and grow the next level of leaders. Make sure they do not have too many direct reports.
Lastly, aid them in getting a good job alignment because working outside their sweet spot can cause high levels of fatigue. Find someone else to do payroll, to do preventive maintenance or other items. Treat your top leaders like an expensive investment. Grow them, feed them, and allow them the freedom to get rested and refreshed.
If you are personally experiencing signs of burnout, find someone to talk with. Taking care of yourself is a good place to start, when leading by example.
