Leadership burnout is the silent threat — here's what to do about it

Business Journals

06-05-2025

In the world of business, leaders are often celebrated for their resilience, decisiveness, and ability to push through pressure. But behind the polished presentations and confident boardroom personas, many executives are quietly burning out.
Leadership burnout is a silent threat. And it doesn't just take a toll on the individual — it impacts the entire organization.
The hidden cost of executive exhaustion
When leaders are stretched too thin, everyone feels it. Burnout's emotional ripple effect trickles down to teams, the culture, and your customers. Decision-making suffers, innovation stalls, and morale dips. In today's unpredictable landscape, businesses can't afford to have their leaders operating on fumes.
Leadership fatigue at the top is more common than many realize. In fact, the Harvard Business Review reports that nearly 60% of leaders feel used up at the end of every workday. That number rises for women and Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) leaders, many of whom navigate additional layers of invisible labor.
This is no longer just a wellness concern — it's a team and leadership issue.
Why burnout is a leadership development issue
Rather than viewing burnout and feeling overwhelmed as a personal failing, we must reframe them as a call to evolve leadership practices and how teams function.
At Henley Leadership Group, we work with leaders to shift the conversation from 'How can I power through this?' to 'What needs to change for me to lead sustainably?' Fatigue and exhaustion are often a sign that something deeper is misaligned — whether it's a lack of purpose, unclear expectations, or outdated operating rhythms.
This is where true leadership development begins — not with tactics, but with self-awareness.
Reclaiming your leadership focus
Through Henley's executive coaching and team development programs, we help leaders reconnect with who they are and how they want to lead. One key tool we use is our Power of Collaboration™ model — a framework designed to strengthen leadership from the inside out while building more effective, resilient teams.
The model focuses on five foundational elements:
Create a compelling why: Align your team around a meaningful purpose (outside of company vision and mission) that energizes and inspires effort.
Build trust: Develop healthy conflict skills, raise accountability, and match the right people to the right work.
Be inclusive: Foster a culture where a variety of voices are welcomed and respected, and contribute to the whole.
Voice what's good: To build momentum and morale, shift the team's focus from what's broken to what's working.
Have productive breakdowns: Learn from failure, recover quickly, and adapt to pursue your shared purpose.
This collaborative foundation doesn't just reduce leadership exhaustion, it revitalizes teams and leaders and helps organizations meet complexity with clarity, cohesion, and connection.
The cost of ignoring the signs
When burnout is left unaddressed, it often leads to turnover at the top, disengaged teams, and missed opportunities for innovation. But when leaders invest in their own growth, when they create space to reset, reconnect, and reimagine, they don't just bounce back. They come back clearer.
When a CEO or executive team models this kind of intentional leadership, it sends a powerful message: well-being and business performance are not at odds — they're intertwined.
It's time to normalize the reset
There's no shame in feeling burned out. There is, however, great wisdom in responding to that signal with action. Leadership today isn't about pushing harder — it's about leading smarter.
The most effective leaders we work with have embraced the idea that burnout is a message, not a verdict. It's a message that something needs to shift. And often, that shift unlocks the next level of team and personal leadership potential.
So if you're feeling stretched thin — or see the signs in someone on your team — consider it your invitation to reimagine what leadership can look like.
If you or your executive team is ready to lead from a place of clarity and purpose, Henley Leadership Group can help. Learn more about our executive coaching and team development programs.
Henley Leadership Group is a Seattle-based leadership development firm specializing in executive coaching, leadership and team development, and custom team offsites. We help leaders grow from the inside out. Learn more at www.henleyleadership.com.
Carol Zizzo is the CEO of Henley Leadership Group and a seasoned executive coach with over two decades of experience helping leaders build trust, clarity, and alignment. She is passionate about helping leaders access their full potential and lead with heart, purpose, and impact.