Leadership Burnout
“Lord, setting high goals, such as excellence, can lead to burnout. The research is clear that so many executives get burned out with all the meetings, deadlines, stakeholder demands, family pressure–the list can keep going on and on. What can someone do to navigate through all these landmines?”
“Sam, even the greatest have burn-out. I had burn-out. Remember when I sent the flood, and then destroyed Sedom and Gemorah? I was burned out. All the problems with humanity can take their toll on me. Just imagine someone with a weaker disposition.”
That was not something I wanted to imagine.
“Take for example Abraham and Moses, Sam. I love leaders, but they cannot last forever and that is why it is so important to constantly prepare the next generation of leaders and managers. Abraham had at one time over 10,000 followers. Then nothing. How quickly the mighty can fall. Moses was a great leader who was able to lead his people out of Egypt, but he was not able to lead his people into the Promised Land. Every great leader has their time, and they might not reach the results they want.”
Up on the screen popped up a picture of what looked like Moses in front of all these signs pointing to the Promised Land. Each sign was pointing in a different direction and a different distance listed. Sometimes life felt that way- no clear direction.
“Son, I would like to make sure that your readers understand that persistence is one of the hallmarks of a great manager. There will always be setbacks. What separates the great from others is how they respond to setbacks and hardships. Some get frustrated or give-up while others fight through. When Moses first approached Pharaoh, his plan seemed to backfire. Pharaoh made the Israelites work harder with less equipment and supplies. This setback to the Israelites didn’t endear Moses to the people he was trying to save. The people hated Moses and were upset with his involvement. By Pharaoh keeping the slaves busy they were not able to think about freedom. They were too busy trying to survive. The additional work and hardship made it that much more difficult for the people to accept Moses as their possible savior. Even though Moses and Aaron were my direct messengers, that does not mean people would believe, follow, or continue to follow them if things turned south. As the Israelites leader, I must deal with setbacks as well. I have been attacked for years by others. I feel like a Bozo the Clown punching bag- constantly being hit by my people and others. Do I stop loving them? Do I stop leading them? Have I given up? That is why you are here Sam. I have not given up nor will I give up.”
I could see the frustration. I know how tough it is getting my kids out of the house sometimes. Then multiply that by billions of people.
“You cannot have perseverance without setbacks, balance and understanding. Remember when you had a strained back injury several years ago, Sam? Many people will start with pain killers, go to several doctors, or might give up. What did you do? You spent months rehabbing your back. I was impressed by how you went to physical therapy three times a week. You could have gotten burned out. You didn’t…you persevered. You stuck with it. You had some setbacks, you missed several events with the kids, and you had to spend that vacation as well. I mean you made sacrifices but persevered. You could have quit but you knew the reward at the end, which would have been a healthier back and getting your life on track. You had a goal in mind and that helped you.”
I wondered how the Lord knew all about my back…but by this point in the interview I knew that he knew everything, even my medical history. Maybe everything we do is really recorded in a book? I thought that was just a saying before this interview, but now I know better. The Lord smiled at me.
“Sam, for executives facing burnout there are no simple answers. Trying to have a great work life balance would be wonderful, but the key is having a goal that can inspire and motivate you from the beginning. The mouse on the wheel analogy is great, but we often are just going through the motions and that is what causes the burnout. In contrast, when one is inspired it can often minimize some burnout. Waking up every day energized and full of excitement for the challenges ahead is so important. Even I must motivate myself sometimes to get up. Every person can have burnout. Abraham was burned out. Jacob was burned out. Moses was burned out. Jonah was burned out. Joab was burned out. The list goes on and on. And if the greatest leaders in the Old Testament can be downtrodden, so can an executive in a business setting.”
I thought for a second, “You mean Moses was really burned out.”
“Several times. He was burned out and tried to reinvent himself several times. If something might not work, switch things up and try again. I remember when I first sent Moses to meet with Pharaoh. He was supposed to go with Aaron and the elders. Well, the elders never joined him. The elders believed in Moses, but not enough in either him or me to face Pharaoh. That is also when Moses had his doubts, right after I officially hired him, because his first attempt wasn’t successful. Then again, none of his attempts with Pharaoh were really successful. Most of his efforts with the Israelites were also not that successful. That is why he got to the point where I needed to assign him judges, then a legislature, and yet the people still complained to the point where Moses asked for his name to be blotted out of the Bible. That is an extreme measure. Could you see Jack Welsh asking the folks at General Electric to remove his name and accomplishments from their corporate history?”
So many leaders would rather have their name in the lights than face the reality that they were not successful in doing their job. I was trying to remember if I had ever read a business book by someone who was a failure.
“Sam, it is not just about doing the job, it is how we face adversity. After more complaints Moses did not heed my direction when he was at an emotionally stressful time which was right after his sister Miriam died. Instead of talking to the rock he hit the rock and got upset with the people to such an extent that he did not merit staying their leader. That is when I moved Joshua in so Moses could step down. If the burnout affects a leader to a point they cannot meet their obligations, then the leader needs to step down. How many leaders have overstayed their tenure because they felt that the organization could not survive without them or that their successor would not be able to accomplish what they had done? Organizations, and the people therein, will adapt and grow to meet future challenges… maybe the reason why some leaders burn out is that they are afraid of issues that might not ever materialize. So, burnout might be the result of fear of failure or fear of the unknown. By not stressing over things out of a leader’s control, they might not burn out as often. That is so much easier said than done. It is like telling your wife not to worry when you are taking her on a roller coaster. That does not make her feel any better does it?”
I know my wife would grab my hand real tight whenever we went on a ride. I mean really tight. It was a legitimate fear. Similarly, executives have their own fears and burnout could be one factor. Some people might not recover from their burnout. Some might feel that burnout or a loss of their passion is a sign to stop what they were doing. Yet others will embrace the challenge fostered by burning out and the potential for rebirth. The image that sprang to my mind was a fire and how it could destroy. But then after the destruction there is rebirth and that is how the forest stays in check. I knew there was no easy solution for burnout.
“So, you’re saying there is no magic pill. However, if Biblical leaders could overcome so many hardships, current leaders with all the resources at their disposal should have a tough, but easier road to follow.”
“Now you’re getting it,” he smiled and leaned back in his chair.
