A CEO's Journey to Overcome Burnout and Thrive
Meet Steve. He’s in his late 30s, married with a young family, and started his company just a little over three years ago with some friends from college.
Steve and his co-founders each came to the table with a wide range of experience, but since Steve had the idea for the business originally, and had the most corporate experience, he immediately jumped into the role of CEO while his partners handled other aspects of product market fit and growing the business.
As the team grew, Steve realized that there was more and more that rested on his shoulders. As the CEO, Steve saw himself as the head of day-to-day operations – first leading a team of 5, then 10, then 20 and then 30 before he could blink.
Even though Steve loved the work, he also began to struggle. The larger team meant handling issues that he was unfamiliar with, and had to use his gut instinct to hope that he had made the right choices.
Steve began to burn out before he even saw that there was a problem. Despite always telling his kids that they came first, he began to miss family events routinely because every problem in the business felt like it was on his shoulders. As his sleep turned more restless, he found himself opening the laptop in the middle of the night, eventually pulling 18 or even 20 hour workdays. When his partner pointed it out, they began to argue, and those arguments became more frequent.
While he knew that there was pressure, if you’d asked Steve he would have told you that it was nothing that he couldn’t handle. He was large and in charge, and had things all under control.
That was until the day came when he didn’t. While preparing for an important client meeting one morning, Steve found himself having serious chest pains in the shower. He’d never experienced that sort of thing before, but he was suddenly lightheaded, and headed back to bed to lie down. While the chest pains subsided, Steve still felt anxious and unsettled, and his partner was able to get him in to see the doctor.
Their diagnosis came as a shock – the doctor said that Steve’s heart was fine, but his head was what was really in trouble. The doctor said that Steve’s symptoms were likely a result of anxiety, and possibly even depression. Their next words to Steve confirmed what his partner and his family knew all along: Steve was on the verge of burnout.
Steve proceeded to take a few days of sick leave to cope with the news, and as he thought more it all began to piece together. He, like so many founders, felt the weight of the world on his shoulders 24/7…and it was crushing him quicker than he realized.
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Steve isn’t alone. Burnout is a serious hazard for those at the top. According to a recent Forbes article, some 70% of C-suite executives were reporting experiencing burnout last year, and just as many had said that they were considering trading it all for a job that was less stressful.
Thankfully, there are amazing resources to help stop founders from winding up like Steve. Companies like Flourish are working hard to help teach mindfulness and other coping strategies to executives so that they can better handle the pressures of their role. Solutions such as BetterHelp provide confidential virtual counseling, and apps such as Calm and Headspace help offer guided meditation to those who just need a few minutes to pause.
Steve was lucky. Even though he had a rough few days, he recognized his symptoms in time, and started planning on how to deal with them before they got the better of him. Without treatment, Steve’s symptoms would likely have continued to get worse, and could have ended up costing him both professionally and personally.
Now Steve has begun making changes to the business as well. He’s brought in resource partners with needed expertise to help him juggle fewer plates. He’s also learned how to better delegate responsibilities to trusted managers, and is letting them make important decisions about the company. While it’s important for him to oversee things, he realized that he can’t wear multiple hats at the same time and expect all of them to fit. Now he gets to focus on the parts of the business that he does best, and is comfortable delegating the rest to those in the know.
He checks in regularly with his team, and ensures that everyone has a place they can turn to when they feel overloaded.Most importantly, he’s brought in a shortened Summer Friday schedule, and is looking to bring in other mental health supports that will help not only himself, but also his growing team.
Be like Steve. Know the warning signs of burnout, and pay attention to them before they try to pull you under. Hire great talent, and let them do what they do best – you’ll be amazed at how much stronger a team is than a single individual.
Everyone faces challenges in life – it’s how you deal with those challenges that make you a strong leader.