Harvard Business School Executive Clarifies That Burnout Occurs When These Three Factors Combine
Burnout, a growing epidemic that affects professionals across industries and individuals in all walks of life, is more than just a state of emotional, physical, and cognitive exhaustion caused by chronic stress that goes unresolved. It is deeply personal and shaped by the stories we tell ourselves, the expectations we carry, and the unchecked ego that fuels the fire.
The World Health Organization describes burnout as "a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed." The antidote to burnout, according to the former trauma and hospice chaplain Steve Cuss, author of "Managing Leadership Anxiety: Yours and Theirs" and founder of Capable Life, an organization dedicated to helping individuals reduce internal and relational anxiety in both workplace and personal settings, lies in radical clarity.
Leaders must ask themselves: What is mine to carry? What expectations have I mistaken for obligations? What would happen if I cut back? What am I really afraid of? This introspection is crucial in identifying and managing personal stressors that contribute to burnout.
Burnout is not just about workload. It is about how we manage energy, ego, and expectations. The ego, an important driver behind burnout, only has an appetite for the past or future. The present is its enemy. The ego dictates that we are never good enough, causing the walls to close in and where thinking errors start to accelerate.
The chronic stress of needing to perform, please, or control is the real culprit behind burnout. Beyond organizational factors, individual-level causes include blurred work-life boundaries, fear of saying no to additional work due to job insecurity or career concerns, and difficulties managing psychological safety—feeling able to express issues without fear of judgment or retaliation. High stress linked to navigating career-family tradeoffs, especially in dual-income households, also contributes to burnout.
Preventive measures at the individual level focus on boundary setting to protect wellbeing and clarify expectations around workload and availability. Psychological safety in the workplace, where employees feel safe to speak up and seek help without negative consequences, is critical in mitigating burnout risks. Building resilience through stress management, seeking social support, and prioritizing self-care outside work are advised to counter burnout outside organizational interventions.
Recognizing and addressing small warning signs of burnout early, such as exhaustion, frustration, or avoidance, can prevent a full-blown crisis. For instance, Maria, a manager in a high-growth tech company, is at risk of burnout due to feeling pressured to maintain high standards while her capacity hasn't changed.
The effects of burnout extend beyond reduced productivity. It contributes to declining income through increased sick leave and long-term labor market withdrawal or shifts to part-time roles. It also raises the risk of physical health problems, including cardiovascular disease. Mental health impacts include depression and chronic psychological distress exacerbated by ongoing demands to remain constantly available and productive.
In conclusion, while organizational reforms are vital, addressing burnout effectively requires recognizing and managing personal stressors, enhancing psychological safety, and empowering individuals with boundary-setting skills and support networks. The antidote to burnout lies not in doing more but in doing differently, discovering our inner strengths to endure, managing expectations, and recognizing our limits before they consume us.
- The antidote to burnout, as suggested by Steve Cuss, author and founder of Capable Life, demands radical clarity, with individuals asking themselves questions about their responsibilities, expectations, and fears.
- Burnout is not solely about workload, but it also emanates from how we handle energy, ego, and expectations, with the ego favoring the past or future over the present.
- Individual-level causes of burnout include blurred work-life boundaries, the fear of refusing extra work due to job insecurity or career concerns, and difficulties in managing psychological safety.
- Preventive measures at the individual level focus on setting boundaries to safeguard well-being, clarifying expectations regarding workload and availability, and prioritizing self-care outside work.
- Recognizing and addressing early warning signs of burnout, such as exhaustion, frustration, or avoidance, is crucial in preventing a full-blown crisis, as demonstrated by Maria, a manager at risk of burnout due to feeling pressured to maintain high standards despite unchanged capacity.
