There’s a reason why people say, “It’s lonely at the top.” Leadership can get lonely. The further up the ladder you are, the more responsibilities and opportunities you have, the more people look to you for guidance, and the more expectations you have, the tougher it gets, and you risk personal burnout.
Also, as we grow in leadership, we can surpass colleagues, friends, team members, or even bosses we’ve worked for and are now responsible for leading them. Our priorities and interests may change, creating changes in relationships that can be jarring and disconnecting. We might worry what others think, what this disconnect means, or that we simply don’t fit in anymore.
The seven Ps of burnout invite us to pay attention to our personal nourishment and take burnout prevention more seriously.
The Seven Ps of Personal Burnout
1. The pause and lack of connection to presence.
Presence is all about being in our bodies, in the moment, and in our current reality. The pause is all about taking a time-out (between meetings, projects, wins, fails, and even your thoughts) to regroup, reassess, reboot, and go.
People are usually not going to let you pause (not because they’re bad, but because they’re minding their own business), so you have to make room for pause and presence for yourself. It’s a matter of choice.
2. The portal and lack of connection to purpose.
It’s crucial that we stay connected to why we’re doing what we’re doing in order to create impact (for what and for whom?), and also that the “why” grows with us. When we’re connected with service, purpose, and the people we impact, our mission becomes clearer. From there, we’re not alone but in the portal of mutual purpose.
3. Lack of connection to people.
Not feeling seen or cared for, not caring for or seeing others, being separate and superior or inferior to others, or forgetting our relationships with people creates resistance and separation, disconnects us from love, and violates a basic human need to belong to a tribe. We have to be able to “see” each other. Humanity frees us.
4. Lack of connection to pain or pleasure.
Accessing pleasure, such as acknowledging delight, playing, appreciating the moment, celebrating both wins and failures, and taking a time out for fun—is vital for regeneration. Accessing pain and authentic emotion is equally important. In order to have the full experience, be more authentic, and keep good energetic hygiene, giving ourselves permission to feel pain and real emotion is essential.
5. Lack of personal power.
With a lack of accountability or personal power, our energy gets heavy and mucky and tends to create more of the same. On the other hand, being in our power is contagious. Taking accountability and holding clear boundaries supports and empowers others in doing the same.
6. Lack of partnership with oneself.
The most important relationship we’ll ever have is with ourselves. When you honor your needs and internal agreements with yourself, and you trust that you have your own back, you become stronger for everything else.
7. An overabundance of pleasing others.
Do not compromise your beliefs or well-being to please others. Do support or even help others—but stop pleasing people.
Discover more ways to avoid burnout, consistently connect with your leadership team, and predictably turn them into highly engaged employees. Call me for some complimentary advice. Book an appointment at https://go.oncehub.com/GregNichvalodoff or call me at +1 (604) 943-0800.
