M2 Ep 005 - Executive Burnout

Executive burnout often looks like success from the outside and feels like a trap on the inside. You’re winning. You’re needed. You’re the clutch player. Then one day you realize you built a “prison” made of dependencies, expectations, and a superhero identity you can’t sustain.In this episode of M2: Managing Managers, we unpack what executive burnout is, how to spot it, and what actually helps you climb back out.What we cover:* The signs: overwhelm, “stuck in the gears,” numbness, and the point where your normal resets stop working.* Why it’s different at the executive level: the “work harder → get promoted → work harder” loop, plus identity fused to the role.* The first move out: create blue sky—real calm and clarity—before you try to “fix leadership” or take on more change.* A fast diagnostic: saboteurs (how your strengths get used against you under stress).* High-leverage tools: elevate/delegate, stop–start–continue, time blocking, and clarifying decision rights so your inbox and your team stop dragging you back into the weeds.* The longer-term solution: redesign the role around the value the organization needs now—explicit accountabilities, clear success definitions, and a sustainable operating model.If you think you might be there, you don’t have to stay there. You can learn a better way to lead at a high level and still keep your humanity and your life. For details on Jim’s confidential Executive Leadership Blue Sky session, visit txl-lab.com.