Turning Pain into Purpose -- From Leadership Burnout to Mental Health Advocate: Interview with Justin Azbill

If you're a manager, chances are at some point over the last three years you looked in the mirror and thought to yourself, “My give-a-crap motor is shot.”You are not alone. Managers everywhere are feeling a little bit toasty.Research conducted by Gallup has highlighted a concerning trend in manager burnout, revealing that managers experience higher stress levels, increased burnout, and compromised physical well-being and work-life balance compared to those they lead. Surveys conducted in 2020 and 2021 indicate a worsening scenario for manager burnout. In 2021, the gap between mid-level managers reporting burnout "very often" or "always" and non-managers (frontline workers and more senior leaders) widened significantly. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports record increases in quit rates, emphasizing the urgency of addressing manager burnout. So, on one hand, stress and burnout among managers not only negatively impact organizational culture but also hinder their ability to foster employee engagement in a highly competitive labor market. On the other hand, the manager’s voice in the workplace mental health movement is essential to its success.In this podcast, I interview Justin Azbill, the Director of National Environmental Health and Safety for Milwaukee Tool and we talk about his experiences with life-threatening burnout and how he turned that pain into the purpose of helping others. His two takeaways for addressing burnout:Be proactive, not reactive.Start and end on a positive note.About Justin AzbillJustin Azbill is currently the Director of National Environmental Health and Safety for Milwaukee Tool. He has over 27 years of experience in Safety and Risk Management, having held key management positions with Kiewit Power, Suffolk Construction, Cannistraro, and Callahan Construction.Throughout his career, Mr. Azbill has created a reputation of success by leveraging a collaborative leadership style which has helped him achieve consistent industry-leading results and build successful partnerships that continue to impact the construction industry. Mr. Azbill has advocated for Trade Professional Health and Wellness through a "Do What's Right" leadership style zeroing in on the importance of having simple conversations. Mr. Azbill currently leads several Peer-to-Peer groups focused on Safety Professional Psychological Safety as he is an industry advocate for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. Mr. Azbill leads from the front in the Mental Health space as he currently is a planning committee member of the Construction Working Minds conference, a Keynote speaker on the importance of preventative measures "Selfcare", and a Founding Member of the Safety Social S4S (Safety for Safety) Peer Group meeting. For more information on this episode go to sallyspencerthomas.com/headspace/24