Because healthy leadership starts with self-respect, not self-sacrifice
Leadership often comes with blurred lines—between work and rest, empathy and over-functioning, availability and burnout. Many people leaders are praised for being “always on,” “always available,” and “always saying yes.”
There’s a quiet weight that comes with leading people. Not the tasks on a to-do list—but the unseen emotional load. The weight of being available, responsive, strong, consistent, empathetic. The expectation to hold space for others while managing your own pressure behind the scenes.
The go-to person. The problem solver. The one who never says no. High performers carry a quiet risk—and it’s one that often goes unnoticed until they’re halfway out the door. As HR professionals and people leaders, this is where our attention needs to shift: not just toward the obvious signs of struggle, but the hidden ones wrapped in success.
Burnout rarely starts with a breakdown.
It starts small—missed deadlines, shorter replies, cameras off in meetings. A tired “I’m fine” that doesn’t quite sound convincing. Slowly, people disconnect—not just from their work, but from themselves.
We don’t talk about the real cost of mental health in the workplace enough. Not just the dollar signs. But the cost of tension in the team that never gets addressed. The cost of talented people slowly burning out in silence. The cost of a culture where everyone looks busy, but no one feels safe.
The go-to person. The problem solver. The one who never says no. High performers carry a quiet risk—and it’s one that often goes unnoticed until they’re halfway out the door. As HR professionals and people leaders, this is where our attention needs to shift: not just toward the obvious signs of struggle, but the hidden ones wrapped in success.
