Burnout Tops the Leadership Agenda: Why Wellbeing Is Now a Strategic Priority
A week ago I ran a poll asking what is the most pressing leadership challenge.
Surprising results?
Not really.
Psychosocial Risk and Burnout - topped the charts at 52%
Human Leadership in the AI Era - came 2nd at 32%
Leading in a VUCA world - was 3rd at 16%
The poll was part to test my own thinking, part to get a sense of what's top of your mind, and part to get to the heart of the matter that underpins everything and turn that into something useful for you.
Over the last year or so after having spoken with numerous senior executives and leaders in Australia and around the world all of these three topics came up in the conversation.
Burnout topped the charts even in my conversations.
I thought AI might or even leading in a VUCA world.
Your message is loud and clear - if we are not feeling great, if our tank is continuing to be depleted, if we have tried every hack and just can't seem to crack the energy level mystery, then how will we ever show up in front of all the challenges and deal with it effectively.
Being-well is not a side hustle any more.
It is a strategic priority in its own right.
There was fourth one too which I did not include in the poll - Managing Mid-Life Career Changes, especially relevant for those with a long established and successful first half working out how to navigate the second half. More on this later.
Let's get back to Burnout.
I don't remember seeing this as a global issue prior to Covid.
Was it there?
Of course.
Was it a big issue?
Maybe in pockets.
Was it universal?
Not really.
So what's changed to get it elevated to top of the charts?
What about it is so complex or challenging or difficult to solve that has made it the Number 1 issue today ahead of AI and other pressing matters?