Burnout doesn’t arrive with fanfare. It settles in silence. It begins with small internal disconnections: pleasure in work diminishes, enthusiasm no longer appears in meetings, the body responds with signals that seem like “just getting older”—and productivity persists because deliverables continue, even at the cost of emotional health.
By this point, the professional has already crossed the line from fatigue into burnout territory. What’s most alarming is that many of the leaders I work with—highly capable, admired by their teams—don’t recognize these signs as a problem. Or worse: they recognize them but normalize them.
High Performance Isn’t Synonymous with Self-Neglect
The problem isn’t performing. It’s sustaining performance that doesn’t consider the human being behind the position. I see brilliant executives operating under a level of self-demand that, over time, paralyzes. The fear of “stopping and falling behind” is so strong that many prefer to ignore obvious symptoms rather than admit vulnerability.
Vulnerability isn’t weakness. It’s an emotional management tool. Ignoring it compromises decision-making clarity, affects organizational climate, and reduces listening capacity—an essential skill for any leadership that intends to remain relevant.
Burnout Has Structure. And It’s Predictable.
As a coach, I work with the burnout triad model:
- Emotional exhaustion
- Depersonalization
- Sense of inefficacy
Initially, the leader simply feels overwhelmed. Then they begin distancing themselves from people, from decisions, and finally, from themselves. The result? A professional present in their role but absent from their own potential.
Most critically: many organizations still view burnout as a “personal problem,” when in reality, it’s a systemic symptom—the direct result of cultures that reward excess and penalize pause.
Healthy Leadership Begins with Self-Responsibility
If you hold a leadership position, the responsibility for caring for your emotional health is non-transferable. And this begins with simple but decisive questions:
— What remains of me after the packed agenda?
— Am I leading with clarity or merely fulfilling deliverables?
— What am I teaching, in practice, to those who observe me?
Leadership isn’t about resisting. It’s about sustaining. And only those who learn to listen to themselves before their body screams can truly sustain.
Final recommendation: For those interested in a deeper philosophical perspective on this phenomenon, Byung-Chul Han’s “The Burnout Society” provides a masterful 51-page critique of how our “achievement society” has become a breeding ground for the very burnout it claims to prevent.
Valeska Martins
Executive Coach | Integrative Coach | President, ICF South Florida
Specialist in leadership development, strategic well-being, and corporate parenthood
