Why Executive Burnout Can’t Be Fixed by Taking a Day Off
- Dr Elaine Smith
- Apr 10
- 2 min read
The Hidden Reality of Executive Burnout
Most senior leaders don’t talk about burnout.
They ‘get on with it’, stay calm, and sometimes continue to get results, at all costs. However, beneath the iceberg I often see exhaustion, detachment, brain fog, short fuse, sleep problems, feeling numb, relationship problems - the list goes on. I’ve worked with many leaders who are quietly struggling and don’t know how to turn the tide. They feel caught and they feel alone.
They often feel they will be letting themselves and everyone down if they were to reveal their true inner experience.
What’s usually offered?
Take some time off
Try meditation or a walk
Switch off at the weekend
The Root Causes of Burnout in Senior Leaders
These suggestions aren’t necessarily wrong, but they don’t get to the root of this problem.
Because what’s happening isn’t just tiredness. It’s most often a symptom of chronic stress, constant pressure to perform, and no time to process what’s actually going on.
Burnout in leaders is rarely dramatic.
It’s slow, quiet, and often invisible. Until reality hits and their body and mind tell them something needs to change.
3 Critical Insights for Leaders Struggling with Burnout
3 things I tell leaders in this position:
You can’t out-perform emotional overload. It catches up eventually, no matter how strong or organised you are. This is part of being human, and not a machine.
Leadership is isolating. Most people won’t ask how you’re doing. You need spaces where you’re not the one holding everything.
The longer you delay space for reflection, the harder it is to recover. You don’t need a crisis to change direction but you do need to notice what’s happening. I always advocate for prevention, of course, but sometimes leaders miss those early warning signs.
How to Lead Sustainably: Prevention and Recovery Strategies
This is the work I do with leaders.
It’s not therapy. It’s not coaching in the usual sense.
It’s confidential space to pause, reflect, recover - and learn how to lead in a way that feels sustainable again. Learning the warning signs and preventing this from happening again.
If you’re carrying too much, and no one’s asking how you are, maybe this is the sign you didn’t know you were waiting for.
👉 Learn more about how I support leaders like you:https://www.drelainesmith.com/executive-1on1-sessions
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