Burnout: What’s Actually Happening When Leaders Burn Out
Why leaders need to prioritise themselves - and how it helps their teams too.
In 2023, I noticed I wasn’t at my best. I was exhausted and didn’t know why I was showing up anymore. But I simply kept showing up. I was doing ‘fine’ on paper. But I was exhausted, disconnected and felt like I was viewing myself from above. My calendar was full, my role was clear, and yet my purpose - my why - was missing.
Looking back, I know now that I was deep in functional, silent burnout. The kind where you can still perform, still smile, still say all the right things - but every day feels heavier and you’re not fully there.
And leadership can be an incredibly lonely role.
And I’m not alone. DDIs leadership forecast research, the biggest of its kind with over 10,000 leaders found that 71% of leaders reported a rise in stress since stepping into their current role (compared to 63% in 2022). Is this surprising? Perhaps not. But 71% is a big number. And here’s the part that should really concern us… of those leaders, of that 71% - 40% have thought about walking away from leadership altogether.
With the mounting pressure leaders are faced with, lack of support systems and training and development, leaders can experience burnout at equal or higher rates than frontline employees, particularly when they feel isolated or unsupported.
In 2025, when I first started talking about functioning, invisible burnout with my networks and on my Linked In account I was amazed at how many people commented and reached out to say how much it resonated for them, especially leaders. Even now, months later, people still pull me aside at coffee catch-ups to say: “That’s exactly me.”
For my personal experience after 16 years in HR and leadership roles across the globe - leading restructures, scaling teams, 2x growth, down-sizing, right-sizing, guiding strategy - I knew how to support others through change. But I hadn’t stopped to check in with myself. I had become so identified with the role, the responsibility, and the next thing to achieve, that I lost sight of who I was outside of work.
What I’ve learnt about burnout - and how to lead differently
Burnout isn’t just about overwork. Burnout often stems from a deeper misalignment - when what we do every day doesn’t line up with what we care about. Disconnection from values, from purpose, and from your own needs quietly drains energy, and leaders are no exception. And for leaders, that disconnection often comes wrapped in a sense of duty. We think we have to be the strong ones, the steady ones, the ones holding it all together. But when we ignore our own capacity, we model unsustainable habits for our teams too.
Here’s the truth: how you show up as a leader is the culture you’re creating.
If you’re running on empty, your team feels it. If you’re in survival mode, they’re likely just behind you.
Harvard Business Review and McKinsey both highlight that a strong sense of purpose is one of the strongest predictors of resilience in leadership. And if you’re disconnected from your own purpose, it’s hard to create meaning for others.
What Else Can Be Happening?
Burnout isn’t just on individuals to manage and avoid. Businesses and leaders of other leaders have a responsibility. Burnout happens when pressure meets capacity and sometimes, the individuals that feel burnout are at a loss about what to do about it. In an age of AI, fast pace and the constant sprint, it’s no wonder that more leaders than ever feel a rise in stress. It’s easy, especially for high performers, to step up in times of pressure and do more work, push harder. We think we have to be the strong ones, the steady ones, the ones holding it all together. But when we ignore our own capacity we will eventually, burn out.
How I reconnected
When I realised I’d lost myself in the role, I stepped away. I packed a backpack, travelled, volunteered with refugee communities in Lebanon and indigenous communities in Guatemala and even pushed myself to learn a new language so I could communicate more fully.
At the time, it felt like a break. But looking back, I can see it was also me living my purpose. My deepest driver has always been to connect people - with each other, with their own purpose and with something bigger than themselves.
That’s why I’ve always loved working in the People & Culture space, through organisational transformation and coaching leaders to be the person they want to be, the person they like.
So, what can you do?
You don’t have to quit your job or move across the world to reconnect with yourself. But you do need to pause regularly and ask:
Alignment, Values & Who I Surround Myself With
Is how I’m working aligned with what matters to me?
Do I feel aligned to and supported by the people around me?
Am I leading from my values, or just running on habit and pressure?
The Work I Do
What genuinely energises me in my work right now - and what drains me?
Do the demands of my job exceed my capacity?
If my job title disappeared tomorrow, what would I still stand for?
My Environment
Do I have a place and method that lets me switch off and recover my energy, when I feel depleted?
And finally - what am I modelling to my team/ family: resilience and clarity, or overwork and depletion? And, if I had no fear of failure, what would I change about how I lead?
And if you’re in a position to support others:
Make space for real conversations about capacity and wellbeing.
Invest in development that focuses on mindset, not just skillset.
Encourage your team to see themselves as more than their roles.
Supporting others starts with supporting yourself
Did you know? Psychological safety is the #1 factor in high-performing teams and directly shapes the wellbeing of your team and it starts with how leaders model vulnerability, self-regulation, and balance (Google re:work; McKinsey, 2023). Research shows that leaders who role model psychological safety and self-awareness build more resilient, high-trust cultures.
It starts with how you show up.
Final thought
Functioning burnout is real - but so is the possibility of leading with energy, meaning and humanity.
Because leadership doesn’t have to cost you your wellbeing. The best leaders aren’t the ones who grind themselves down. They’re the ones who’ve learned to lead themselves first.
