Coaching Christian Executives and Leaders to Avoid Burning Out at Work

For years I've been coaching christian executives and leaders to avoid burning out at work. As I've stated before,

"Far too many leaders and executives experience burnout. As a society, we may lose twenty, thirty or forty years of thought leadership, passion and innovation when a high contribution individual retreats or is removed from the forefront and decides to drastically reduce or never again assume important responsibilities." Gary Wood

Don’t let this be you or any of the leaders in your organization.

While my clientele is not limited to Christians, most of those I coach do include Christian CEOs, Executive Directors, VPs, Owners, Directors, and others across senior-level organizational charts. 

They share one thing in common. They want executive coaching to avoid burnout.

And, maybe equal to that, they want to maintain or regain their performance, productivity and contribution that has been eroded because of this stress.

The Path from Overload to Burnout Begins to Show Telltale Signs 

• Feeling sluggish, with an overall lack of energy
• Stressed out, with an increasingly short fuse
• Creeping criticism, negativity and cynicism
• A reduced level of patience with subordinates, colleagues or family members
• No longer at the top of your game and “in the zone”
• A nagging feeling that you should be doing more and enjoying more
• A sense that you’re getting off track from your true purpose
• A fear that things might spiral out of control
• Feelings of helplessness and frustration

Coaching christian executives and leaders to avoid burning out at work is something I take seriously. If you see yourself in this list, please consider a conversation. 

A Long Period of Accumulated Stresses Can Leave You Running on Empty

Operating in this way may have become so commonplace in your life you’ve started to pass it off as less severe than it actually is, when in truth the stress can become so powerful that it begins to manifest itself in a variety of unwelcome ways:

• A loss of energy which can result in stagnant personal, spiritual, and professional growth
• A loss of effectiveness, which can leave you scattered and uncertain about your priorities
• A loss of involvement that can affect your career path, your relationships, and can sabotage the motivation of those around you
• A loss of health and well-being, which can create a mediocre day to day existence filled with ongoing aches and pains
• A loss of control which can leave you sitting away from everyone and everything, feeling that no options exist to begin moving forward
• And most deeply for you as a follower of Christ, a loss of that awareness of the immediacy and presence of the Lord, with you and for you right now.

You are not alone. Burnout is often discounted as the cost of making things happen by so many leaders the world over. This is a mistake.

It's why I've been coaching christian executives and leaders to avoid burning out at work, for many years now. I can be of assistance to you.

I want you to move from running on empty, to running on full. Remember, Jesus said He came that we might have "life to the full." And, that's not just weekend life.

How Long Can You Handle this Stress? 

How long can a leader handle this stress? I suppose it's different for every person, but certainly the answer is ‘temporarily’.

If it goes on for too long, it's going to push you into a situation with the potential for more serious consequences.

Manage Stress Successfully and Deal with Burnout

The now most commonly used description of burnout comes from the World Health Organization. They describe burnout like this. 

“Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:

• Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
• Increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and
• Reduced professional efficacy.

Burn-out refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.”

Did you get that? "... not successfully managed." That means we CAN do something about it that is lasting, satisfying and renewing.

A major part of coaching christian executives and leaders to avoid burning out at work is better "managing" how you actually work.

Like most leaders and professionals, your work week may be complex. We'll examine and see where you might make adjustments to reduce stress.

To Maintain Performance While Dealing with Burnout, You Must Work on Two Things 

Keeping up workplace performance and productivity are a must for most leaders. Not many leaders can simply take time off or walk away. In addition they have a passion to continue providing meaningful contribution. 

That means we coach on two things simultaneously in our work together.

1. Deal with the Burnout – This includes those things you're dealing with that are personal to you, your thinking, your faith, your feelings, your health and well-being. Our conversations will be insightful and assist you to think this through.

2. Deal with Performance and Expectation – This includes all the things happening externally, like setting boundaries, planning, decision-making, troubleshooting, communicating or managing others. I have tools to help you. 

Coaching christian executives and leaders to avoid burning out at work will always involve those two things, the actual burnout, and those things that create the environment in which burnout can take hold. 

Gary Wood, Coaching Christian Executives and Leaders to Avoid Burning Out at Work

For many years I’ve been supporting leaders just like you. They were going through significant periods of intensity and are now enjoying a more sustainable and fulfilling work life.

AND, they are more effectively moving forward significant causes, projects, programs and priorities that matter to them.

Support is a key word here. I can provide the very best professional coaching possible, with a lot of years of experience behind it. BUT, the responsibility to make any changes will ultimately rest with you. I'll support you in applying the insights you come to through coaching.

I want to see you do well, and continue leading for years to come. If you wish to contact me right now, do so here.

A Coaching Support Strategy for Leaders Feeling Burned Out at Work

I have a very flexible plan to deal with overload and burnout. First, avoid burnout happening by addressing the stress and overload you are experiencing right now.

But, if your situation is more serious already, as mentioned above, deal with the burnout, and deal with performance. It looks like this.

An Important Reflection for Christian Professionals

When we Christian leaders need resources to draw from, the Lord keeps saying to us, “I have the resources you need. Come to me, learn of me, follow me and I will give ...”

He has given, “everything we need for life and godliness” 2 Pt 1:3 – 8.

Paul said he had learned a secret. It was good that others shared with him and strengthened him. Nevertheless, even without those resources he could still “do everything through Him who gave him strength.” (Phil 4:10 – 14). God is our ultimate resource.

Any effort at coaching Christian executives and leaders to avoid burning out at work, cannot overlook how faith influences that leader's thinking.

Your faith will significantly influence what happens from here on. 

Resources

Contact Gary - Explore individual coaching.

More on Christian Executive Coaching - Know what can be accomplished.

Signs of Burnout in a Christian Leader - Learn 6 signs of burnout to watch for.

Overload Assessment - A simple tool to assess how you are doing.

Recover Work Life Balance - Addresses the benefits of making a change.

FAQ, Sponsoring a Leader - Sponsor one of your leaders to deal with burnout.

What is Burnout? - Review further definitions and descriptions.

How to Get Over Burnout - More on the steps or phases of dealing with burnout

Basic Productivity Skills - Some quick wins to get control of your time. 

One Leader's Experience - Reflect on recovering work life balance.

What Does Burnout Feel Like? - It feels like "too much," and "too little."

Recap

On this page we have discussed: 

• If you are at wits end about how to get over burnout there IS hope 
• There are telltale signs of the approaching potential for burnout
• Coaching Support is key to moving through burnout and beyond
• If possible, prevention is always the first step. Avoid burnout.
• Stress can be successfully managed to prevent burnout
• You must address 2 things together: Burnout and performance
• As a Christian leader, you do have God! He cares about you.
• Gary Wood is the Executive Coach who works with Christian leaders, executives, and senior-level leadership to avoid or deal with burnout.