In the landscape of workplace wellness, a harsh reality often goes unspoken: sometimes, the very leaders tasked with supporting employee mental health are actively perpetuating the burnout crisis. As a burnout prevention expert, I’ve witnessed countless scenarios where leadership becomes the primary obstacle to meaningful change.
Recognizing the Leadership Burnout Trap
Leaders don’t typically set out to harm their teams. Most genuinely believe they’re driving performance and creating a competitive environment. However, toxic leadership behaviors often emerge from deeply ingrained corporate myths: the glorification of overwork, a belief that constant productivity equals success, the need for the team to always be “on,” and a systemic denial of human limitations.
Many of the things that happen in the workplace are actually detrimental to employees and lead to burnout.
Here’s are some common leadership red flags:
– Celebrating employees who consistently work excessive hours
– Sending emails and expecting immediate responses outside work hours
– Viewing mental health support as a “weakness” or “productivity killer”
– Maintaining an always-on culture that normalizes chronic stress
– Dismissing burnout as an individual performance issue rather than a systemic problem
Strategies for Employees: When Leadership Doesn’t Get It
1. Document Everything
Start creating a comprehensive record of your experiences. This isn’t about building a case for confrontation, but about creating objective evidence of systemic issues. Track:
– Hours worked beyond standard schedule
– Missed breaks
– Emotional and physical stress symptoms
– Specific incidents that demonstrate unsustainable work expectations
2. Build a Support Network
Burnout thrives in isolation. Connect with colleagues who understand your experience. This isn’t about creating a complaint circle, but developing a strategic support system that can collectively address workplace challenges. You can also work with the organization on creating a task force. This task force can be the eyes and ears for preventing and blazing burnout.
3. Communicate Strategically
When approaching leadership about burnout, transform the conversation from an emotional plea to a data-driven business discussion. Frame burnout as a productivity and retention risk. Use language that resonates with bottom-line thinking:
– Highlight the cost of burnout (go to VitalizeUnlimited.com for our burnout calculator)
– Provide how much healthcare costs increase from burnout
– Demonstrate how burnout impacts innovation and creativity
– Present research on how well-supported teams outperform chronically stressed teams
4. Propose Concrete Solutions
Don’t just highlight problems—offer realistic, implementable solutions:
– The only burnout platform, Vitalize Unlimited
– Flexible work scheduling
– Clear communication boundaries
– Mandatory recovery time
– Mental health resources
– Workload redistribution strategies
5. Know Your Options
If internal channels fail, explore external resources:
– Human Resources departments
– Employee assistance programs
– Professional coaching
– Legal consultation regarding workplace wellness regulations
A Critical Mindset Shift
Addressing leadership-driven burnout requires understanding that change is a collective responsibility. No single employee can transform an entire organizational culture. However, strategic, informed action can create meaningful momentum.
Sometimes, the most powerful statement is walking away. If an organization persistently refuses to acknowledge employee wellness, voting with your feet sends a powerful message. The most talented professionals increasingly prioritize mental health over traditional career advancement.
The Larger Context
Burnout isn’t an individual failure—it’s a systemic issue that requires systemic solutions. Leaders who view employees as renewable resources will ultimately find themselves with depleted, disengaged teams.
The path forward requires empathy, strategic communication, and an unwavering commitment to human-centered leadership. Burnout prevention isn’t a luxury; it’s a fundamental business imperative.
Remember: Your mental health is not negotiable. Your worth extends far beyond your productivity metrics.
#preventburnout #burnoutprevention #mentalhealth #burnoutplatform
ABOUT JESSICA:
Jessica Rector’s mission is simple: transform lives. With a BBA, MBA and BS, Jessica started, hosted, and produced her own TV talk show in Los Angeles with just an idea to help others launching her first company jessICAREctor Enterprises. She now partners with organizations to prevent and break through burnout in their leaders and people to reduce turnover, increase productivity and enhance engagement while helping the organization gain a competitive advantage, create a workplace where people want to go and develop a healthy and thriving workforce and culture.
Founder of Vitalize Unlimited, the first to market all in one product suite for burnout prevention, Jessica has worked with clients such as Fortune’s “#2 Best Company to Work For, NBCUniversal, and the Dallas Mavericks and uses first-hand research, experiences, and strategies, to ignite your brain, extinguish burnout, and ignite your people through her process called Blaze Your Brain.
As a researcher, keynote speaker, and #1 best-selling author, Jessica consults with companies, trains teams, and speaks at conferences, conventions, and organizations helping you change thoughts, change your outcomes, and ignite the power within. She has shared the stage with Michelle Obama and has been recently featured on NBC and Dr. Phil’s Merit Street Network for her work and research on burnout.
When Jessica isn’t working, she enjoys spending her time with her 11-year-old son, Blaise, who is the CFO, Chief Fun Officer at Vitalize Unlimited and a best-selling author of two books.
Get Jessica’s recent book, Blaze Your Brain to Extinguish Burnout: 52 Tip to Prevent, Break Through and Eliminate Burnout at jessicarector.com. Connect with her on LinkedIn by CLICKING HERE.
