How To Avoid Leadership Burnout in 2022
Manager being overwhelmed with company demands and calls for attention from employees.
Organizations require managers to manage systems and processes but also to develop and lead their teams. Both roles require specific skills and being able to adjust and balance between the two, is an art. Ensuring regulations are adhered to, data is accurate, and productivity is on-track are just some of the critical management components while being an inspiration to your team, seeing the potential in your people and creating the environment for them to realize it are just some of the skills needed to lead. These performance expectations often result in managers feeling overwhelmed and burnt out, especially when they haven’t received the requisite training and development or coaching. Leadership takes time, energy, and commitment as managers face pressure to perform and have their teams perform daily; to meet deadlines, achieve various bottom lines and meet company goals.
We often set high professional and personal goals for ourselves and the pursuit of acquiring these goals often comes with a high cost to our wellbeing and increase our chances of experiencing burnout.
Manager experiencing pressure, stress, and experiencing low energy.
Stress, pressure and, in some cases, long hours can manifest in feelings of exhaustion, energy depletion, increased negative feelings towards the role or about the position and reduced professional effectiveness. Many of the leaders that I coach report that they are usually able to tell when burnout is imminent, but despite the warning signs, they choose to ignore them and continue at the destructive pace and patterns that ultimately affects their work and how they show up both in their professional and personal lives.
So, how do leaders avoid or deal with burnout?
Leader investigating the thoughts and beliefs that have driven his feelings of overwhelm.
Be the Cause instead of the Effect
Too often we spend time in the “effect” of our emotions; that is, we react from the emotions that we feel, and forget that we can control our emotions instead of them controlling us. It was a life-changing moment when I discovered that my emotions were “clues” for me to investigate. Instead of avoiding my emotions or acting on them, I learnt to listen and figure out what they were trying to tell me. It was telling me something about myself that I needed to address. Something usually about my thinking and my beliefs. We have the ability to create the emotions we want, to “cause” the performance we want. Instead of acting from your emotions, take a moment, put on your detective hat, and investigate what thoughts or beliefs you have that is driving these feelings of overwhelm and stress. Start noticing the story you are telling yourself and then create a better story to ‘cause’ the feeling you want.
Be Your Future Self, Today!
Manager documenting her progress and assessing the tools available in her leadership toolkit.
Decide on the leader/manager you want to be! Take a moment and imagine that you can be any leader you want to be. What are the qualities you envision you have? Imagine how you are connecting with your people, what is the environment you have created? what are the skillsets and quality of the people you have around you? What is it they feel coming into work with you as their manager and leader? What happens when you or your team-members make a mistake? Why do people want to be a part of your team? How is your thinking different from how it used to be? Document what you have answered and practice being that person every day while applying the tools in your management and leadership toolkit, such as setting boundaries, delegating tasks and effectively communicating objectives.
Ask For Help
Acknowledge when you need help. One thought that has helped me is “nobody succeeds alone”! Seek guidance from trusted peers, mentors or hire or ask your company to hire a Leadership Coach if you are having a hard time adjusting to the demands of your leadership role. The goal is to develop habits that will help you in creating the quality of life you want, both personally and professionally while achieving and exceeding your business goals.
Once you start practicing any or all of the above, you will notice your management of yourself improving and your feelings of overwhelm and burnout reducing.
Are you or someone you know experiencing burnout right now? Send this article to a colleague or a friend who you think may benefit from reading it.
I’m Nadine Seaga and I’m a Mindset & Leadership Coach, Founder & Chief Energy Officer (CEO) of People Development Consultants. I can help you to harness your full potential and the full potential of those you lead! Check out my free masterclass at http://www.pdconsults.com/freemasterclass Get started on this life-changing work.