by Sebastian Oros
You’ve been shouldering the entire burden for your business, and now…it’s catching up with you. If you’re feeling exhausted and burned out, you’ve likely been going it alone for some time. As the head of your organization, it’s critical that you stay healthy and motivated in order to ensure success. So, what’s the solution?
How Do I Get Over Burnout As a Leader?
The symptoms of burnout can be physical, mental, and emotional. Though it’s not an actual medical diagnosis, burnout can manifest in fatigue, insomnia, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, irritability, substance abuse, and more. It’s pretty difficult to run a successful organization if you’re this compromised!
How did it get to this point? For many leaders, they’ve been shouldering all burdens and responsibility. If you lead alone, you’re much more likely to experience burnout. However – it’s not the only way to lead, and in fact, you’ll shortchange your employees if you continue to operate from this unhealthy place. The answer to burnout? Stop being a lone ranger.
What Are The Steps to Eliminating Burnout?
- Determine what needs to be done.
This requires organization and strategy. Don’t just think about what you should be doing – think about what actually needs to be done to keep the company successful.
- Take inventory of your team and see how you can shift responsibility off yourself.
Be ruthless! The best leaders understand that their team wants and needs to take on challenges. Consider why you’ve been holding back, and provide your team with the tools they need to handle your new requests.
- Figure out why you’ve been micromanaging.
Sometimes, perfectionism is behind your refusal to give anything up. Sometimes, it’s an unwillingness to accept that you’ll never achieve an ideal state for anything you produce. Consider whether you’ve been failing to coach your team into the skills they need to lead on their own.
- Find an identity in something other than work.
If there’s no reason to stop working, it can be difficult to make yourself slow down. Find a compelling activity or organization – like family, church, or even a hobby – that you can commit time to.
What Happens When You Show Your Team That You’re Human?
Once you begin to create a healthier standard for yourself, you’ll see that your team is starting to take notice. In effect, you’ll be saying – “Hey, I’m not a superhero. I need support and down time just like anyone else.” For some leaders, this can feel like a colossal defeat.
However, it’s often exactly the opposite. A leader who’s empathetic and practices healthy self-care can create more loyalty from their team than someone who rules based on unrealistic expectations. Further – when you allow yourself to be human, you give your team permission to do the same. Long term loyalty comes when employees know that you understand and value them. Valuing others starts with valuing yourself.
There Is a Way To Scale and Stay Healthy
In this climate, it can often feel like creating a healthy, supportive work culture and scaling your business are mutually exclusive. However, nothing could be further from the truth. The Intention Collective exists because it’s not only possible – it’s essential to build your business from a healthy foundation.
If you’re ready for some additional support, we’re here. Through our training, webinars, supportive coaching, and even fractional leadership for businesses, we help leaders rethink the way they do business. We are dedicated to the truth that you can make money and stay healthy. In fact, it’s the only way to create an organization with a lasting legacy.
No matter how long your burnout has been going on, we’d love to talk with you and begin to take steps toward a healthier future. Give us a call and we’ll schedule a consultation.
