How to Lead Through Burnout

Last year, I hit a wall. Some might call it the Performance Tax. Others might call it burnout.

It’s the crushing fatigue that comes from the gap between how you feel internally (scared, tired, navigating a crisis) and the pressure you have on how you must act externally (confident, bubbly, visionary).

As a CEO, I felt the burden of being the Chief Energy Officer. I felt that if I had a low-energy day, the revenue would have a low-energy day. Trying to bridge that gap was burning me out.

I realized I couldn't fake the joy anymore. So, I stopped trying to.

Instead, I implemented 5 specific shifts to help me perform under pressure without losing myself. Here is what I did:

1. I stopped trying to be Bubbly and aimed for Solid.

I realized that clients didn't buy from me because I was cheerful; they bought from me because I could solve their problems. "Bubbly" is an emotion, but "Solid" is a posture. It was much easier to be serious, grounded, and expert when I was feeling heavy than it was to force a smile.

2. I used the Sasha Fierce Strategy (The Uniform).

Beyoncé created an alter ego to handle the pressure of performing. I did the same. I treated "The CEO" as a role I was cast to play. When I sat at my desk, I put on the uniform. That character wasn't worried about cash flow; she was focused on the client. When the work was done, I took the uniform off and allowed myself to be human again.

3. I reframed Sales to align with Doing Good (A C-Suite Coach core value).

When cash is tight, sales can feel urgent at best and desperate at worst. That felt selfish and heavy. I focused my mindset on: "This client has a problem. We have the solution. If we don't sell this, they stay stuck." This moved me from a place of desperation to a place of service.

4. I actually scheduled my defeat.

Suppressing fear 24/7 is like holding a beach ball underwater, eventually, it hits you in the face :-) . So, I gave myself 15 minutes a day (usually after 6:00 PM) to feel completely defeated. I let myself vent, worry, or cry. When the timer went off, I moved on. It gave my emotions a container so they didn't bleed into my client calls.

5. I looked at the evidence, not the feelings.

My emotions told me I'm failing, but my actions showed I was making hard, strategic decisions to protect the business. I learned that you can feel defeated while acting victorious. In business, only the actions count.

If you are navigating a wartime season in your business, give yourself permission to drop the performance. You don't have to dazzle them today. You just have to help them.