The topic in a recent coaching session with a Fortune 100 C-level client: chronic burnout.
Both the leader and the org have a proven capacity for change:
They are agile, resilient, and optimistic.
But the combination of too much for too long has drained that capacity.
The leaders as well as their org.
Here’s what I asked my client:
How much of what you’re spending cycles on is actually in your control?
His face gave me the answer, and he isn’t alone.
Most of us spend WAY too much time obsessing over the things outside our control.
The economy.
Politics at work.
What other people think (or might be thinking).
And here’s the inevitable outcome:
You drain your energy.
You lose focus, your team follows suit.
You can be seen as scattered, reactive, and constantly shifting priorities.
And you, and your team, lose value and impact.
This leader made one simple shift:
He began using my question as a filter for his investment of time and energy
…and started focusing on what he could actually influence or control.
And here’s what happened (not overnight, but faster than you might think):
He refilled his own cup repeatedly.
His strategic thinking, decision-making, and delegation became more pointed and effective.
His direct reports followed suit, becoming more focused and productive, improving both impact and morale.
Sometimes transformation isn’t about working harder or doing more.
It’s about doing your best to shrink a spinning world to more manageable proportions.
I know it isn’t simple to apply this filter, because senior leadership always comes with an overflowing plate.
When you focus on what you can control, you create space for what actually matters.
Not a silver bullet for chronic burnout, but a way to reclaim your power and impact.