Burnout in Leadership…and life

The next couple of blogposts will be focused on burnout in leadership and how that led me to developing Lead Freely. A little more personal, and hopefully something you can glean from. Enjoy!

I enjoy listening to Donald Miller’s podcast Storybrand. Click the link above and have a read or listen, or both. He usually has guests which provide great insight into brand marketing, but also solid advice on leading in a healthy manner.

This episode stood out among the others because it is something very real in my life and leadership over the years. Burnout hits hard and usually takes casualties with it. My whole household and social setting was changed as I spiraled into poor mental health. In leadership mental health is a daunting topic, largely because it is mistaken for weakness or inability in the life of the leader. Ironically, we advocate for destigmatizing mental health in our institutions and personal lives, but I found it a rarity to sit down with people who were comfortable with discussing it.

I wish I could say that leadership was of a new mind today and did not flirt with danger in this area. But that would be a lie. And not just in one sector either. People in management and most roles of influence struggle just as much as in days of old, even with the vastness of knowledge and pervasive awareness. Now do not get me wrong, there have definitely been moves forward especially with the new era of transparency and authenticity in leadership. But there is also the scent of ‘damaged goods’ attached to the admittance. A person who struggles in leadership either does not admit it openly, or they must signal that it is

“Getting better…”

“Occasionally I feel that way…”

“Not that big a deal…”

“I’m getting the help I need…”

I will be writing more about this on my blog as time goes on, largely because I feel I am called to destupidify leadership wherever possible. What does that mean? Mannerisms, customs, habits, thoughts, ideas, patterns, etc. which hinder us from helping others forward in our area of influence are, well, stupid. When we hinder our progress we cripple the growth of those around us.

Go through the list in the link above and be honest with yourself. Who are you when no one is looking? Have you invested wholly in becoming whole? This does not mean you will not lead through brokenness, that is simply being human. But if we do not strive for wholeness, we will accept stunted growth as our normal. 

Our inauthenticity with self and those around us is a painful game that ultimately ends in loss.