In the fast-paced world of leadership, burnout is a real thing. Leaders often find themselves giving their all, pushing past limits to meet demands that seem endless. However, the work isn’t going anywhere.
While workload is a big contributor to our burnout, there is another big factor – judgement. Most of us have this inner voice second guessing every decision – are we doing the right thing? Is this the right decision? What if …. Etc etc etc!!! The judgement we place on ourself is an even bigger drain on our energy.
Personally, I find the social media noise deafening – we have so many do’s and don’ts. In reality, we always had the do’s and don’ts but now it is within easy access. There are podcasts and articles and books telling us what is right and what is wrong. So we are continuously comparing ourselves to these showcased examples.
For someone who prides herself in being very self-aware, I was surprised to find how much judgement I have been placing on myself – buying the do’s and don’t s and best practices being sold to me. Despite my self-awareness, I had lost my vision – I let it get blurred by other people’s rule book.
It has taken longer than expected, but here is what worked for me:
- Self-awareness. I knew there was something off but couldn’t work out what. So I reviewed my patterns – what works for me and what doesn’t. Growth means you have to keep reviewing your patterns and letting go of habits from the old patterns.
- I learnt to separate advice that energised me from advice that drained me and the reasons – I have learnt to recognise what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for all. So I now take the advice offered and adapt it to ‘me’. And sometimes, I may even discard it if it is absolutely at conflict with who I am.
- Evidence has taught me to trust my decisions – even when the world is going in a different direction. We are all different so sooner we learn to embrace our unique strengths the better!
- With an evolving self-awareness, I have learnt to create my own self-care rhythms – and of course true to style, it is what works for me but quite often at odds with the popular ‘prescriptions’
While burnout is a real challenge for leaders, it’s not inevitable. By understanding your natural style, listening to your inner voice, managing your energy, reflecting on your experiences, you can prevent burnout and thrive in your leadership role.
And of course, if I can help accelerate your journey at any point, please do reach out.