Episode 12
Saving Yourself from Leadership Burnout - Why Your Team Needs You to Step Back
Summary:
Alexa Beavers chats about the pitfalls of overextending oneself in leadership roles. She illustrates the transformation of a leader who learned the hard way that being perpetually available isn't sustainable. By setting boundaries and trusting her team, this leader shifted from drowning in responsibilities to fostering empowerment and collaborative growth. Beavers emphasizes that true leadership is about multiplying impact, not martyrdom. Exhausted leaders, take note: prioritize your well-being to enhance your effectiveness. Discover how letting go can lead to stronger, more resilient teams and healthier leadership dynamics.
Chapters:
0:00
The Fallacy of Being All Things to All People
0:26
The Overworked Leader's Trap
0:56
Consequences of Overextending
1:26
The Underlying Mind Traps
1:54
A Wake-Up Call to Change
2:21
Team Empowerment and Recovery
2:46
Redefining Leadership and Its Impact
Host Alexa Beavers: linkedin.com/in/alexabeaverspmp
Executive Producer Jim Kanichirayil: linkedin.com/in/drjimk
Music Credit: "Lost in Dreams" by Kulakovka
Transcript
They become the bottleneck for their teams. If you don't protect your energy, no one else will. I coached an amazing leader who finally got to the role she had always wanted. She got there by working long, hard hours by volunteering for projects and helping at every chance she got. She took great pride in her contributions and being the one that stepped up every time in her new, bigger role.
knew it, she was running on [:Here's what was really going on Her team, they relied on her for everything decisions. Lifting a finger, all of that stuff, all of their action slowed to a crawl. She literally had zero time for any big picture thinking. She wasn't leading. She was drowning. Now, the worst part was no one had asked her to take on that burden.
She just assumed that's what good leaders do. Why? Because deep down, she had a story she was telling herself. Things like if I don't do it, no one will. People will think I'm lazy. I have to prove my worth by always being available. If I say no, I'll let people down.
wanted to do. Her body said [:She hadn't been paying attention to the impact her drive had on her overall wellbeing. She started having to say no. She decided to set office hours to heal. Instead of being available on demand, she delegated decisions instead of approving every little thing. And guess what? Her team stepped up. They made decisions.
They solved problems. They actually thrived without her hovering over them. And through that, she didn't just regain her health. Or her sanity. She'd got both of those, but she really became a much better leader in the process, A leader that multiplied the impact of others being available. 24 7 isn't a badge of honor.
That's what the best leaders know. They know that their job isn't to do it all, it's to empower others. And that means setting boundaries, prioritizing what truly matters, and trusting your team to step up.
to others if your own cup is [:It's because you're not leading effectively. Your team doesn't need a martyr. They need a leader who knows when it's time to step in and know when it's time to step back. Protect your time. Protect your energy, because the strongest leaders aren't the ones who do it all. They're the ones who make sure everything gets done without sacrificing themself in the process.
Leadership isn't about suffering, it's about multiplying impact, and you can't do that if you're running on empty.
