Here's how you can navigate company culture to prevent burnout for leaders.

To prevent burnout among leaders within a company culture, prioritize a culture that values work-life balance. Encourage regular check-ins and open communication about workload and stress levels. Implement policies that promote flexible working hours and the ability to unplug after work. Foster a supportive environment that recognizes the signs of burnout and actively offers solutions such as professional development opportunities, mental health resources, and regular breaks. Leadership training should also include strategies on managing stress and delegating effectively. By embedding these practices into the company culture, you can help prevent leader burnout and sustain a healthy, productive workplace.

I have seen two ways this causes a burnout- 1. The leaders are driving the people too heard, not coaching but directing to achieve short-medium term goals. Creating a wide spread fatigue across the organisation effecting leaders ultimately. 2. The leaders aren't delegating enough leading to everyone in the organisation performing the job of the person one level below in hierarchy . Taking too much onto themselves because of poor delegation culture. Balancing and keeping an eye on the long term goals is the key.

To prevent burnout, start by performing your job with the best intentions and capabilities to support the company's vision and goals. Be candid in your conversations, accurately present the situation, and document your observations during skip-level meetings. Burnout often starts when communication breaks down and people lose sight of the organization's needs and values.

Pointers - recognise early signs - reflect more - delegate more - communication and boundaries - ask for help - better sleep and excercise - don’t think u are the only superhero - stay connected to purpose - focus on work life balance - ask for more autonomy

As an introvert, I need boundaries around my downtime, my quiet time and how I spend my out of hours time. The problem with the extravert bias is that those who get upset by these boundaries are those who were benefitting from me not holding them high.

Überbelastung darf kein Tabuthema sein und sollte nicht zu Vorwürfen führen. Eine Unternehmenskultur, die offene Kommunikation und Empathie fördert, ermöglicht es Führungskräften, ihre Belastungen offen anzusprechen, ohne negative Konsequenzen befürchten zu müssen. Dies erfordert eine Atmosphäre des Vertrauens und der Transparenz, in der Probleme offen diskutiert werden können. Eine integrale, werteorientierte Führung betont die Wichtigkeit von Kommunikation und Beziehungsmanagement, um ein unterstützendes Umfeld zu schaffen, das Burnout vorbeugt und das Wohlbefinden fördert.

Draw a hard line between work and personal time. Define your work hours and enforce them. Let your team know when you’re off the clock and stick to it. Ban after-hours emails and encourage regular breaks. Use scheduling tools to keep work on track. Clear boundaries stop burnout before it starts, keeping your team sharp and engaged. Make work-life balance a firm rule, not a suggestion.

Build real relationships with your team. Hold regular check-ins and informal meetups to keep connections strong. Encourage honest communication and mutual support. Create chances for collaboration and celebrate wins together. Strong team bonds boost morale and fight burnout. Make fostering connections a priority. It’s not just nice to have—it’s essential for a healthy, motivated team.

Führungskräfte sollten aktiv in die Lösungsfindung eingebunden werden, indem ihre Vorschläge erfragt und ernst genommen werden. Dies stärkt nicht nur ihr Engagement, sondern führt auch zu praxisnahen Lösungen, die tatsächlich umsetzbar sind. Eine integrale, werteorientierte Führung betont die Bedeutung von Entwicklung und Förderung, indem sie Führungskräften die Möglichkeit gibt, aktiv an der Gestaltung ihrer Arbeitsbedingungen mitzuwirken. Dies fördert eine Kultur der Zusammenarbeit und Innovation, die langfristig zu einer besseren Arbeitsumgebung beiträgt.

This is clearly written from the perspective of the bias towards the supposed extravert ideal. Introverts don't respond too well to fake team building activities and informal gatherings. We're doing our best to hold onto the charge in our social, emotional and mental batteries so squander energy on things we deem unnecessary. Let us build a few genuine and meaningful connections but don't force us to socialise.

I'd encourage leaders to remember that burnout occurs for different reasons for different people. As an introvert, I hit burnout when it became too stressful to keep up the pretence of being more extraverted in order to fit in & get on. The weight of inauthenticity eventually became too heavy to bear. For me, respecting the fact that I do my best work in a quieter environment, often at home, is important. You can demand I come back into the workplace but my productivity and mental health will suffer.

Leaders are not impressed, generally, by the outcome of training interventions & this might lead them to discourage attendance in such sessions. The intention of LnD & HR is noble - to improve performance & WLB. The point which most of these organisers miss is: To make a difference in the lives of the executives - the learnings shared in sessions - need to be IMPLEMENTED. to Implement - one needs to PRACTICE. To Practice - one needs SPARE TIME. This is true even for senior & top leaders (they are human after all!) So, if the organisers are able to first determine whether the overworked delegates have enough SPARE TIME {after completing all the tasks assigned} to practice the learnings - only then should they be invited to attend sessions.

It's crucial to prioritize the well-being of leaders over their ability to manage the workload, team, systems, politics, and upper management. Leaders need a separate support system outside of higher management. Navigating an environment alone can be isolating and lead to increased anxiety and depression. Encourage leaders to use their leave/PTO without the fear of returning to a pile of emails and phone calls. The workload should be managed in a way that the leader is only briefed on what has occurred in their absence, not punished. Incorporate physical exercise/wellness, Employee Assistance Programs, and flexible and hybrid work schedules. It's important for leaders to feel valued beyond their work.

Formate schaffen, die das Thema Arbeitsbelastung konstruktiv thematisieren und Methoden zur Lösungsfindung anbieten, ist essenziell. Workshops, regelmässige Feedback-Runden und Schulungen zur Stressbewältigung sind einige Beispiele. Solche Initiativen zeigen, dass das Unternehmen das Wohl seiner Führungskräfte ernst nimmt. Eine integrale, werteorientierte Führung betont die strategische Planung und langfristiges Denken. Indem man Formate etabliert, die kontinuierlich die Arbeitsbelastung überwachen und verbessern, kann man eine nachhaltige und gesunde Unternehmenskultur fördern, die Burnout verhindert.

The Gallagher State of the Workforce Report 2024 reports that loneliness critically impacts the workforce. What I find most interesting is that organizations are starting to engage in work to help facilitate healthy emotions versus the adage of leaving your emotions at the door. As AI continues to create more efficiencies at work, we will see emotional intelligence arise to have a critical impact on the people in the workforce.

Start by promoting open communication and creating a supportive environment where employees feel safe to express concerns. Encourage a healthy work-life balance by modeling it yourself and advocating for reasonable workloads. Establish clear priorities to ensure focus on what truly matters, and be willing to push back against unrealistic demands. I just wrote an entire Newsletter article on this very topic...Super important!

Most important is the role modelling of the Executives, but also of each leader. Esp. the Executives are the ones who are monitored carefully and their behaviour will be copied independantly whether it´s good or not. So be aware how you - as the Executive - behave and support behaviour within the company, it will become culture! If you don´t want to see burn outs within in your company so first think about yourself and your work life balance!

Preventing burnout for leaders involves creating a supportive/balanced company culture. Some strategies: 1.Encourage leaders to actively listen, show empathy, and provide support when needed. 2.Leaders should model and promote a healthy work-life balance, including setting boundaries, encouraging regular breaks, and respecting personal time 3.Acknowledging and appreciating the efforts of team members can significantly reduce burnout 4.Provide Adequate Resources, access to a Support Network 5.Cultivate a work environment that promotes positivity, collaboration, and open communication. 6.Introduce wellness programs that focus on physical, mental, and emotional health 7.Set Realistic Expectations 8.Create a Psychologically Safe Environment