You're Not Burned Out From Leading. You're Burned Out From Agreeing.

We spent 20 years climbing the corporate ladder as the "good leader."

We said yes to every request. Put our teams first, always. Stayed late, came in early, and prided ourselves on being the most helpful person in the room, whatever room we were in.

And we were absolutely miserable... but you'd never know it.

We loved working with our teams. Loved strategizing & solving complex situations. Loved leading our groups/initiatives. 

But with each over-step of our own boundary, each yes we actually didn't want to take on, each decision we made thinking we may finally get the actual reward we were seeking, we finally started to recognize, too late, that we were more than just tired, we were exhausted & completely burned out. 

Here's what no one tells you about servant leadership: It doesn't make you a good leader. It makes you a burned-out leader.

Because somewhere along the way, we confused leadership with people-pleasing.

We started believing that being a "yes man" was the same thing as being collaborative. That putting everyone else first was the same thing as being selfless. That managing everyone's emotions was the same thing as being empathetic.

It's not.

The truth is, Burnout is the responsibility of the individual agreeing to burn out.

Not your company. Not your boss. Not your workload.

You.

Every time you say yes when you mean no, you're choosing burnout. Every time you sacrifice your boundaries to be "helpful," you're choosing burnout. Every time you lead from obligation instead of alignment, you're choosing burnout.

That's uncomfortable to hear, we know. But it's also the most liberating truth we've ever learned.

Leadership isn't passive. It's not about managing everyone else's needs while ignoring your own.

If you're constantly managing, managing schedules, managing emotions, managing crises, you're not leading. You're surviving.

Leadership requires boundaries. It requires saying no. It requires making decisions that other people won't always like.

And yes, it requires putting yourself first sometimes.

Because here's what we learned after burning out spectacularly: you can't lead from empty.

So here's our challenge to you. We invite you to ask yourself:

• What are you saying yes to that's actually a no?
• Where are you managing instead of leading?
• What would change if you took personal responsibility for your own energy, your own boundaries, your own leadership style?

You don't have to be a servant leader to be a good leader. You just have to be an authentic one.

Leadership isn't about sacrifice. It's about alignment.

And the moment you stop agreeing to burn out is the moment you actually start leading.

Need help learning how, Find your Design Style & download your report or join us for an Aligned Leader Program.