In partnership with

There’s a reason 400,000 professionals read this daily.

Join The AI Report, trusted by 400,000+ professionals at Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI. Get daily insights, tools, and strategies to master practical AI skills that drive results.

Sign up now for free and work smarter, not harder.

Welcome

Hope everyone is getting ready for Christmas with the 🎄Christmas Tree up and decorated? We have just about finished decorating ours and the presents are slowly building up under the tree.

This is one of my favourite times of the year. There is a hint of excitement and joy in the air always brings some great excitement. It’s always post Christmas that I get hit with the winter blues.

One thing that is clear from the comments and messages I have had, there is a desire for more around mental health and how manage this as a leader.

So in today’s newsletter I want to be focussing on burnout and my struggles with mental health and things that I have learnt about this as a leader.

Why Managing Burnout Matters for Leaders

Burnout isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a real challenge that can affect your ability to lead effectively and support your team. As a leader, you face constant demands: guiding your team, meeting targets, dealing with unexpected challenges. If you’re running on empty, it becomes hard to inspire confidence, solve problems creatively, or foster a healthy work environment.

Whether you’re a new manager learning to balance responsibilities or a seasoned leader guiding a large team, managing burnout is essential. By taking steps to care for yourself, you set the tone for a culture where well-being is valued, ultimately benefiting everyone on your team.

For me I didn’t spot the signs I was burnt out until it was too late. Which was a huge issue and has taken a lot of work to get somewhat back to normal operation. But I am not at 100% yet. I am no professional but I know my signs and when I need to stop and pause.

Recognising the Signs of Burnout

Before you can address burnout, you need to know what it looks like. Some common signs include:

• Persistent Fatigue: You’re always tired, even after rest.

• Irritability or Mood Swings: Small setbacks feel overwhelming, and patience runs thin.

• Reduced Productivity: Tasks that used to be simple now feel like climbing a mountain.

• Detachment or Cynicism: You find it hard to engage with your team or feel positive about work.

The sooner you acknowledge these signals, the quicker you can take action to restore balance.

Practical Steps to Manage Your Own Burnout

1. Set Clear Boundaries:

• Define work hours and stick to them. Avoid checking emails late at night.

Schedule breaks during the day to recharge—short walks, coffee breaks, or simply stepping away from your desk help reset your focus.

2. Prioritise and Delegate:

• Identify your most important tasks and delegate where possible.

• Trust your team to handle responsibilities and encourage their growth, while giving yourself space to focus on strategic, high-impact work.

3. Practice Self-Care:

• Invest time in activities that help you unwind and clear your mind, whether it’s exercise, reading, or spending time with family.

• Consider simple mindfulness techniques or meditation to regain perspective.

4. Seek Support:

• Talk openly to a mentor, coach, or fellow leaders about the challenges you face.

• Sometimes a fresh perspective can help you find solutions to persistent stressors.

Fostering a Culture That Prevents Burnout in Your Team

Just as important as managing your own well-being is setting an example for your team.

Your actions shape their experience:

• Lead by Example: Show that you take your own mental health seriously. If you openly discuss taking breaks or setting boundaries, your team will feel safer doing the same.

• Check In with Your Team: Regular 1:1s aren’t just for deliverables—ask how they’re feeling about workloads and stress levels. Encourage honesty and let them know their well-being matters.

• Promote Work-Life Balance: Encourage your team to use their holidays, end the workday on time, and truly disconnect when off-hours. A balanced team is a more productive and creative one.

• Offer Resources: Direct your team to available mental health services, workshops, or training sessions that offer coping strategies for stress and workload management.

Using LEAD+M to Navigate Burnout

The LEAD+M framework provides a helpful structure:

• Lead: Show your team what healthy boundaries and self-care look like.

• Engage: Have open conversations about workload, priorities, and challenges—listen to their concerns.

• Act with Purpose: Focus on meaningful goals and cut down on unnecessary tasks that add stress without value.

• Develop: Support skill-building and professional growth so that team members gain confidence and autonomy, reducing bottlenecks that can create pressure.

• Mental Health: Encourage breaks, acknowledge stress, and normalise seeking support. Mental well-being isn’t a luxury; it’s essential for sustained performance.

Reflection Questions

Ask yourself and your team:

1. What’s one habit I can adopt this week to reduce stress in my workday?

2. Do I have systems in place to detect early signs of burnout in myself or my team?

3. How can I restructure my workload or delegate tasks to create more balance?

Book Recommendation of the week

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski

Overview:

This book provides science-backed insights into what causes burnout and how to break the stress cycle. With practical strategies, it helps readers understand that dealing with burnout involves not only addressing external pressures but also releasing the built-up tension within the body.

3 Key Takeaways:

• Understand the physiology of stress and how to complete the stress cycle, not just manage time.

• Recognise that rest and play are essential, not indulgent.

• Learn techniques to handle stress more effectively and create sustainable habits that protect long-term mental health.

That’s a wrap for this week. Hope you will use this edition and take something away from this going forward.