You know the feeling. Meetings stack up, your phone keeps buzzing, and even at home your mind is stuck on the tasks you still haven’t finished. You collapse at night exhausted, only to wake up feeling just as tired as the day before. Many leaders tell themselves this is simply the price of responsibility. But at some point, the question becomes unavoidable: are you truly leading, or just surviving?
Research in organizational psychology shows that burnout changes how leaders think and act. When the brain is under constant stress, the prefrontal cortex, which handles focus and decision making, slows down. The amygdala, which triggers threat responses, takes over. That shift makes leaders more reactive and less thoughtful. In other words, burnout does not only drain energy, it reshapes leadership itself.
I worked with a business owner who ran a fast growing company. He started each week full of energy and ideas, but by Wednesday his attitude had changed. He was short with his team, lost patience in meetings, and admitted privately that he felt resentful toward the very people he was supposed to inspire. The irony was hard to ignore. The qualities that made him a strong leader when rested vanished when he was worn down. He was surviving, not leading.
Leadership is not only about what you achieve. It is also about the person you become while achieving it. If burnout leaves you impatient, disconnected, or resentful, those habits will spread through your entire organization.
So how can you break the cycle? Try these steps:
- Check your emotional stat. Ask yourself: Am I leading with focus and being present, or am I reacting from stress? Taking this moment helps you notice your state before automatic habits take over.
- Protect renewal time. Neuroscience shows that short breaks restore prefrontal function. Even five minutes of quiet breathing or a walk without your phone helps reset your system.
- Redefine success. Instead of only measuring results, measure how you show up as a leader. Did you show patience, give clear direction, or express gratitude today? That is leadership.
Living in survival mode can feel comfortable and even addictive because it keeps you constantly busy. But true leadership calls for energy, clear thinking, and being fully present.
So ask yourself again: are you leading, or just surviving? The answer shapes not only your career but the kind of person you are becoming. Leading well begins the moment you refuse to accept survival as the standard.
My Practice Leaders offers workshops and one-on-one coaching to help people grow in their leadership and everyday work. If you’d like to see what we can do for you, book a discovery call here: https://mypracticeleaders.com.au/