Between Burnout and the Search for Real Connections: The Leadership Challenge in 2025

This weekend I read an article by Melissa Swift in the MIT Sloan Management Review that was very enlightening about the workloads of managers in the post-pandemic, agile, matrixed world, which is, above all, full of information and, consequently, risk analyses and decision-makers at all times. Work exhaustion is noticeable everywhere.

Managers' exhausted patience is clearly reflected in employee engagement, which is noticeable when they open Teams cameras and are generally discouraged. We are in a worrying cycle in organizations, between burnout and the search for real and inspiring connections . And we, as managers, have a crucial role in breaking this cycle.

Our responsibilities as leaders go far beyond the end of the day. Our commitment to people is personal, more than to the companies themselves. Managers come and go, but people, connections, and positive and negative impacts remain with people forever.

When I think about this, the idea of an inspiring leader and a mirror comes to mind, a positive mirror for those being led, avoiding the idea of pretending to be someone devoid of feelings. On the contrary, being a leader today requires less of being a machine and more of being a person. The perception that others may also be in a vulnerable situation or even experiencing a bad day or even burnout is important to generate real and lasting connections between people, a kind of quantum intertwining between leader and led.

Burnout Data

Alarming data confirms this perception: burnout among managers is not an isolated case, so you are not the only one who is feeling this way. In a January 2024 NAMI mental health survey brought to you by Swift, more than half of all managers (54%) indicated that they felt symptoms of burnout during the past year because of their work. Among employees at all levels, 36% said that their mental health suffered due to the demands of the job. Even people at the C-level of the organization are also suffering from the same affliction and are leaving their positions.

Swift accurately portrays the current reality when he describes leaders rushing from meeting to meeting, sounding more like playground coordinators trying to maintain order amidst chaos. With the complexity of business growing exponentially - between hyper automation and personalization -, coupled with the polarization of relationships and the constant invasion of technology in our lives (that WhatsApp group that never stops beeping), it becomes even more challenging to maintain not only order, but also inspire and guide people on a meaningful journey. Can you relate to this situation?

The Reality of Leadership Today: 4 Challenges Every Manager Faces

Between burnout and the search for real connections, four aspects of leadership have become increasingly complex: motivating our teams, finding truth in the midst of chaos, maintaining strategic focus, and, most critically, preserving our own sanity. I will share my thoughts on each of them, drawing on her ideas.

1. Motivation: Less Guru, More People

In the midst of so much digital chaos (there are an average of 121 emails per day, not counting WhatsApp, Teams and that meeting that could be an email), sometimes a simple "thank you" or a two-minute conversation over a coffee make more of a difference than big motivational events.

There’s no point in trying to be the perfect leader. Showing that we also have bad days, that we also feel overwhelmed, creates much more genuine connections. A funny GIF in the team group is sometimes worth more than a PowerPoint full of data.

2. The Search for Truth in the Sea of Data

Swift makes an interesting comparison to the movie "Rashomon" - every report, every spreadsheet, every dashboard tells a different story. How do you know what the truth is? Her advice is simple: ask more questions. Where did this data come from? What are we not seeing? What is the real story behind the numbers? Be critical and analytical.

Here I highlight what I call the culture of truth and what is right. Following this path often puts us in antagonistic positions with our leaders or those we lead. Sometimes there is an inversion of values, co-optation of available options for personal gain, and even a clear choice for the easiest option over what is right. What is right is what, within legal and ethical limits, shows itself to be, based on data and facts, the best harmonized choice for the company, customers, stakeholders and, of course, employees.

3. Strategy in Chaos

Today's matrix structures are a 3D puzzle. Each decision needs to consider a thousand variables, different teams, and different stakeholders. I have been experimenting with the strategic prioritization method approach. I use Notion in my personal life and mentoring. In my corporate life, I use Microsoft tools. Swift suggests something simpler: coloring the agenda according to strategic priorities. It may seem silly, but it helps you see where you are really spending your time.

4. Taking Care of Yourself

This is perhaps the most important point of Swift’s article. There’s no point in talking about well-being for the team if we’re drowning. It’s not about doing yoga (although it can help), but about having the courage to set boundaries. AI and other technologies promise to help, but real change needs to start with us. Personal and corporate boundaries. It’s not a free-for-all. Find purpose in what you do.

To Reflect

After reading Swift and reflecting on my own experience, it became clear to me that leadership today requires fewer superheroes and more human beings. There is no magic formula, but perhaps that is exactly the point: we need to accept that not everything is in our control.

And you, how have you been dealing with these challenges? What has worked for you? Tell me in the comments - after all, as Swift says, the more we share our experiences, the stronger our community of leaders becomes.

I continue to reflect on leadership and management in today's world. If you want to exchange more ideas about this, follow me here on the blog and on social media: LinkedIn | Instagram

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Article inspired by Melissa's ideas