How to Spot Burnout in Your Leadership
- jennabottolfsen
- 24 minutes ago
- 2 min read
The Silent Strain on High Performers
The leaders your organization relies on most are often the ones burning out first, and quietly. Burnout doesn’t always show up in absenteeism or outbursts. It’s in the over-functioning. The constant context-switching. The quiet withdrawal from strategic conversations.
Here are three subtle signs leadership should watch for:
Decision Fatigue: Leaders begin deferring or avoiding key choices, especially around people or priorities.
Disengaged Presence: They show up, but aren’t driving. Vision feels “flat.” Meetings are performative.
Over-Reliance on Execution: Instead of coaching or empowering others, they do everything themselves.
Not all burnout looks like breakdowns. In fact, some of your most reliable, high-performing leaders might be showing signs of quiet struggle right now—and you might not even realize it. Here are three subtle, but critical signs that your leadership team may need more support:
1. Decision Fatigue
You notice they’re delaying key decisions or constantly revisiting the same issues. They’re not indecisive—they’re overwhelmed. The mental load of nonstop prioritization is catching up.
2. Disengaged Presence
They’re in the room, but they’ve pulled back. Contributions are less strategic, energy is lower, and passion seems to be replaced by polite detachment. This isn’t laziness—it’s a loss of clarity.
3. Over-Reliance on Execution
Instead of coaching or empowering others, they take on too much themselves. It feels faster, easier… but it drains them and bottlenecks team growth.
The Risk: Losing Top Talent Silently
When leaders hit this point, they don’t always raise their hand for help. They internalize the stress, overcompensate, and slowly disconnect. For HR, the danger is not just performance decline, but attrition of your best people.
The Opportunity: Invest, Don’t Replace
Executive coaching isn’t a luxury—it’s a strategic retention tool. It gives your leaders a sounding board, space to reset, and tools to lead with renewed focus and confidence.
When we invest in their clarity, we reignite their capacity. And that’s how we keep great leaders in the game.
Coaching Isn’t Just a Perk—It’s a People Strategy
Executive Coaching provides leaders with:
A confidential space to process challenges.
Tools to prioritize and reset.
Support to lead with resilience and clarity.
This isn’t just a benefit, it’s a strategic lever. Coaching reduces leadership churn, increases engagement, and protects culture from the top down.
Want to protect and empower your top talent? Let’s explore how 1:1 coaching can help your leaders gain clarity, reduce burnout, and drive meaningful results.
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