Cambridge Chamber of Commerce

The expression, ‘it’s lonely at the top’, may ring truer than ever these days as business leaders deal with a barrage of labour and financial issues which can not only affect their motivation but lead them to quickly becoming burned out.

 

In fact, Microsoft’s 2022 Work Trend Index - compiled via a global survey of workers across multiple industries and companies - indicated that 53% of manager reported feeling burned out at work.

 

This doesn’t come as a surprise to leadership coach and expert Julie Dupont, Principal Strategist and Owner of Cambridge-based Reimagine Leadership.

 

“We know there has been a bit of a mass exodus with boomers leaving (the workplace) and the onset of COVID, but still leaders have been expected to achieve the same results with even fewer resources,” she says, adding the ‘doomsday’ predictions of a potential recession have just exacerbated the situation. “It’s no wonder they are starting to feel burned out.”

 

Like employees, Julie says a lack of motivation in leaders often manifests itself in either performance or attitude when it comes to work.

 

“With managers you will see a loss of enthusiasm in the goals of the organization because a motivated manager sees the vision and buys into it and wants to be part of it and rallies the troops to make it happen,” she says. “But when you start getting to that point of burnout or loss of motivation, you start feeling some apathy towards the goals of the organization. You become so busy trying to figure out what you’re going to do for yourself that the goals of the organization take a backseat.”

 

As a result, Julie says employees’ performance and growth is easily impacted since they are no longer being challenged.

 

“They get used to this of life just doing the bare minimum and it spirals, so it’s about not having opportunities missed because your manager just doesn’t have the capacity to perform.”

 

However, Julie says there are many ways business leaders can ‘reignite’ their motivation beginning with having the self-awareness to know what their triggers are when it comes to work.

 

“You can then be in a place to start taking steps to manage yourself when you start noticing the apathy and anxiety,” she says, adding keeping a journal can help, even creating a ‘gratitude’ journal. “Some people may say it sounds hokey, but it works and brings to mind things that are good in your life so it’s not all doom and gloom.”

 

Also, the need for self-management is key says Julie.

 

“Moods are contagious and if you’re that leader walking around with a cloud over your head all the time that spreads and can be very unproductive,” she says. “When your people see that you don’t care, why should they?”

 

Julie says when leaders receive the skills they need to make choices and handle stress, that helps build resiliency and suggests using the services of a professional coach as another option, especially if they don’t have anyone either personally or professionally, they can confide.

 

“Managers don’t always they feel there is someone at work they can confide in. They may feel they’re at the top and have to do it alone,” she says, adding a coach can become a great ‘thinking partner’ for a business leader. “This is a person you can off load to who isn’t judging you and there’s no repercussions to sharing your experiences, and they have the added benefit of having strategies or ideas that can help you overcome those hurdles.”

 

 

10 tips to combat leadership burnout

 

  • Know your early warning signs. Common burnout symptoms include poor sleep, loss of motivation, exhaustion, feeling every day at work is a bad day, increased irritability and engaging in escapist behaviours.
  • Increase your self-efficacy. Seek out coaching and professional development experiences to identify mastery experiences.
  • Empower your team and delegate more. Share your vision and purpose and reduce micro-managing.
  • Become more deliberate with your time. Use your leisure time wisely and seek out positive social support and sources of relaxation and achievement outside of work.
  • Take a break, 20 minutes a day. No texting, no internet, just you and an introspective practice (like mindfulness). Unplug out of work daily.
  • Rewind, reflect, remember.  Take time to remember why you’re doing what you do. What is your purpose?
  • Get the basics right.  Diet, sleep, and exercise.
  • Honestly assess your situation and work toward solutions. Ask yourself the following questions: How am I travelling? Am I doing those things? Why am I doing what I am doing?
  • Mentally remove yourself from the job. Step back and try to look at your job from an external objective point of view.
  • Manage your energy not your time. Work out when you are most productive and do important tasks then.

 

Source: HumanPsychology 

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