Executive coach to the most passionate and transformative leaders in business and the CEO of Transcend.
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The Mayo Clinic describes burnout as “a special type of work-related stress—a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity.” The last few years have been tough on workers, with seven in 10 employees reporting feelings of burnout in 2022. This statistic remains static through all levels of the workforce. In fact, a Deloitte survey of over 2,100 employees and C-level executives in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia found that “nearly 70% of the C-suite are seriously considering quitting for a job that better supports their well-being.”
In my work, I speak with executives every day about feelings of exhaustion and stress that naturally trickle down to the people who work for them. Allowing burnout to persist is not only bad for health, but it’s also terrible for business. Burnout is a major contributor to low productivity, high turnover and low engagement. Deloitte’s aforementioned study states that “81% of the C-suite say improving their well-being is more important than advancing their career.” Yet, I would argue those are one and the same. In order to truly live out your full potential and empower those around you as a leader, I believe your mental health must come first.
Whether you’re beginning to feel the whisper of executive burnout or it’s already become an old friend, here are some tips for rediscovering the passion you once had for your work and, in turn, helping your employees do the same.
Understand your personal reasons for burnout.
According to a study by Indeed, those who work from home are more likely to say burnout worsened over the course of the pandemic. Although specific circumstances are different for everyone, the lack of work-life balance, an inability to disconnect from the office and blurred boundaries are all major contributors.
Here are a couple of things you can do to understand conditions that are affecting you and your employees:
- Take a moment to step back and assess your role in the business and the resources at your disposal to create sustainable growth. Stay engaged with the activities that drive value, but empower others to take on more responsibility in the day-to-day strategy.
- Enlist a coach who can help you dissect your personal and tactical reasons for feeling burned out. This is seen as a last resort for most executives but should be a proactive step every leader uses to remain fully engaged in their business.
Reimagine how your calendar can work for you and the business.
As an executive, you likely live by your calendar. It might feel like you’re in an endless cycle of sitting at your desk and staring at a screen, day after day. By making these simple changes, you can take back the power of your calendar and diversify your schedule while continuing to manage all of your responsibilities.
- Altering your literal viewpoint and getting the blood pumping can be a huge stimulant for creativity. Find meetings that can be taken on a “walk and talk” or somewhere that provides a change of scenery, and suggest that your colleagues do the same.
- Continued education is not only a key catalyst for executive acumen, but it’s also a great habit for rejuvenation. Block out a minimum of 60 minutes to listen to a podcast or read a book that inspires you in business and life.
- With daily office interactions becoming a thing of the past, invest time in finding like-minded professionals in your local community. Reach out to neighboring leaders who inspire you and sponsor the first of several quarterly connections.
Make innovation a priority.
Continued innovation is one of the most important growth factors for business. If you can get out of the weeds of daily tasks to make space for more creativity, it can have the additional benefit of impacting burnout prevention.
- Focus one-on-one connections on the future of the business. Use executive reports as a way for your teams to communicate everyday tasks, so your time with them can be spent dreaming and planning the next evolution of growth.
- Oftentimes, executives bear the sole burden of managing strategic execution. You may find that your own way of thinking can be revitalized—and your strategy more innovative—by opening it up to a team of diverse talent.
- Invest in new methods to drive innovation within the hybrid work environment. Visual collaboration platforms, like Miro, allow teams to work together dynamically even when they’re not in the same room.
Change your environment to change your experience.
The environment you work in can make or break your daily experience. With the advent of the home office, you have the chance to create your dream working environment—a space that reinforces the boundaries between work and home life. Make any space meaningful with the following tips:
- Separate your office and home. It is preferable to have a door between your office space and the rest of the house, but if not, you can make it feel distinct with visual boundaries.
- Use all five senses to create a space that truly brings you joy.
- Practice technology-free time for at least two hours every evening. This is a challenge for most executives, but it can make a huge difference. If you never turn off, how will you turn back on?
In 2023, I believe the question isn’t if executives will experience burnout, but when. By adopting the above strategies and talking openly with peers, you can help ensure you’re within the 30% of the C-suite who is inspired by their current role and continues to inspire those around them. Businesses that are stimulated by executives, as opposed to being dependent upon them, can only continue to get stronger and grow faster. It all begins with you, a leader who is willing to take back control and find new ways to embrace the changes that we all face in this modern era of work.
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