Leadership Fatigue Is Real
The silent burnout epidemic among leaders
Half of 2025 is approaching, and you are…
Tired.
We all kind of are. It’s like your head is heavy. A big, hairy tarantula is sitting on you—it represents all the tasks and conversations you wanted to have but haven’t managed yet.
Behind many high-performing leaders is a quieter, more troubling reality: hello, burnout. Don’t try to hide it behind professionalism, responsibility, or relentless commitment to performance.
I know you’re tired.
So, let’s do something about it.
Work crisis patched with other high goals
I’ve had similar conversations with multiple people in management. They all struggle with stress and capacity.
But to relax, they don’t do anything less than aim for high performance again. They go for:
Half or full marathon training
Ironman triathlon training
Another MBA title
There’s nothing wrong with these. Yet, with such limited time, where is the space to truly relax and pull yourself together?
They say, “If I don’t do anything, I feel guilty and unproductive.”
Leaders are human. They need rest, support, and permission to step back and recharge, just like everyone else.
But instead, they choose to push in another area. No wonder burnout creeps in
With what do you patch your work exhaustion?No time for deep work
Fire! Fire! Fire!
That is how my friend explained his current workload. He’s pulled in a thousand directions. Everyone needs him. He’s drained by constant context-switching and problem-solving.
“I did not sign up for this.”
Leaders get demotivated when they have zero time for strategic work and innovation. You have so much to improve, but there is yet another important meeting.
I wish I could tell you to schedule regular breaks, walks, and time offline. But it is not that simple.
Deep work needs a distraction-free environment. No Pomodoro timer or noise-cancelling headphones will help unless you develop a ritual for focused, strategic work.
Maybe it’s working an hour earlier, before others arrive. Maybe it’s taking one hour on Sunday to plan your week.
Find what works for you.
Find this time. Otherwise, you’ll always be chasing milestones that stay just out of reach.
Put a sticker with a purpose in front of you
Why do you do what you do?
I write leadink every week because I want to help you become more confident in leadership and working with others.
What about you? What’s the purpose of your job?
Leadership fatigue often comes from lost purpose. You keep moving without realizing where you’re going. Is it good? Is it bad?
Eventually, you disconnect from your work. You become a machine.
Take time each week to reconnect with what matters:
What’s your long-term vision?
What do you want to achieve?
What is your dream?
How do you help your team grow?
etc.
I happen to have a friend who is THE Ikigai Guy,
, listen to our podcast episode and feel the comfort you get when you know your Ikigai:
Admit you're tired, and do something about it
Same conversations. Office politics. Team demands.
Aren’t you fed up?
Leadership is a never-ending run. You can’t stop. You walk and sprint constantly. So, here’s what I say to my clients:
Set boundaries.
Boundaries save you—not more fitness, not more delegation.
Late-night emails. Teams messages. Friday evening calls from your boss.
You decide what’s normal and what crosses the line.
Establish clear start and stop times for your workday. Communicate that to your team, clients, suppliers, collaborators—everyone.
Refresh how to do it:
Lead by example and show others it’s okay to do the same. After all, you don’t expect them to be available 24/7—they shouldn’t expect that from you either.
Yeah. You’ve heard this before.
But trust me, someone has to start doing something about work fatigue. If it comes from a leader, even better.
TL;DR
Okay, let me ask you: Are you tired?
Admit it—then lead differently.
Too many leaders try to fix burnout with more performance (another race, another course, another goal).
Behind high performance often hides quiet exhaustion.
You don’t need a new app or a fancy planning tool. You just need:
Time for real work—not just firefighting
Purpose in what you do
Boundaries to protect your energy (not just more caffeine!)
Make one change that puts you back in control.
What’s it going to be?
Have a good one,
Ivona
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