Sustainable success starts at the top.
In my 20 years of experience in HR, Operations, and running teams of all sizes, I’ve seen my fair share of incredibly talented and dedicated employees leave companies because of burnout.
Leaders often mistakenly assume their teams know how to manage their boundaries and workload well, but many people don’t know how or aren’t empowered by their management to do this.
What ends up happening is that employees hit a place of burnout, and their leader has no idea.
Your teams may want to be sustainable performers, but if their work environment rewards overwork, punishes vulnerability, and glorifies nonstop output, they won’t say a word until they’re out the door.
5 ways leaders can prevent burnout in their team
- Check in regularly: Have consistent touch-base meetings to discuss each person’s workload, align on expectations and priorities, and simply ask, “How are you?” Sometimes asking opens the door to a solution before the stress becomes a crisis.
- Model balance: Leadership sets the tone. If you’re online 24/7, your team also feels they have to be. Take screen breaks. Eat lunch away from your desk. Say out loud when you’re logging off. When balance is visible at even the highest levels in the organization, it becomes permission.
- Set clear priorities: Too many “urgent” tasks create unnecessary stress. Instead, clearly explain how any new request fits into the current workload.
- Create an environment of trust: Presume positive intent, and give your team members the benefit of the doubt. Let your team know they can speak honestly, and then hold that honesty with care and in confidence. Trust reduces stress. (1) It gives people the psychological safety to say, “I’m overwhelmed,” before it’s too late.
- Focus on outcomes versus accessibility: When possible, allow flexible work hours that support your team’s energy rhythms and life realities. Whether it’s working around school pickups or peak creativity at midnight, flexibility fuels sustainability. Some may need to work around child care schedules, while others might be most creative and productive at 2 a.m. Whatever schedule benefits the team for collaboration and works best for the individual is ideal for everyone’s success.
Your team’s sustainable success could be your leadership legacy.
Try this at your next meeting
At your next team meeting, ask, “What can we do to create an environment that promotes sustainable effort at work?” Then, listen—really listen. You might hear ideas as simple as improving lighting, offering healthier snacks, or holding walking meetings. Small shifts can have a massive impact on energy and morale.
Encourage your team to sign up for The Balancing Act, where I share tips on avoiding burnout weekly. Also, check out the complete guide in my book Burnout to Balance: 5 Ways to Overcome Stress and Improve Your Well-Being at Work.
At Be Courageous, we help leaders like you embed these strategies into your culture so your team can long-term perform at its highest levels.
Let’s build your wellness leadership legacy.
Co-Writer/Editor: Shannon Geher
(1) Kramer, R. M. (1999). Trust and distrust in organizations: Emerging perspectives, enduring questions. Annual Review of Psychology, 50(1), 569–598. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.50.1.569
