Crisis Leadership for a Time of Disruption

Many leaders I coach are struggling with their “why.” In their burnout, they’re contending with one of what psychiatrist Irvin Yalom sees as our four basic fears: meaninglessness.

If the leaders I coach are going to avoid burnout, they need to befriend the fears that lead them to get in their own way. Psychiatrist Irvin Yalom observes that some of our deepest fears don’t sound like fears at all. Take the way we might fear our freedom.

The leaders I coach know emotional intelligence is vital for leading sustainably. Though there are many ways of assessing our emotional intelligence, a simple way is just making a list of the emotions you can both name and experience.

The workplaces that are burning the leaders I coach out all have one thing in common: a culture of fear—fears of things that cut to the core of who we are. Psychiatrist Irvin Yalom names four core fears. The first is isolation.

Leading sustainably means prioritizing our self-care. The leaders I coach often see self-care in terms of taking time off, getting exercise, and scheduling spa days. Therapist Deb Dana says we also need to be looking for what she calls “glimmers.”

The comic book hero “Green Lantern” has a unique ring with spectacular powers limited by his own will. Many of the leaders I coach assume their lives work the same way. But this “Green Lantern theory” of life is a recipe for burnout.