In today's 24/7 business environment, burnout is a major problem 
among business executives. How much time and money is your 
company losing because of executive burnout? Do you know you can 
avoid burnout in your staff--and reap higher profits? Here are 
four things you can do this week to avoid business burnout now 
and in the future:


Focus on self-transformation. For example, practice re-writing 
your job description given your evolving challenges, and think 
about how to become the perfect candidate for the job you already 
have. A leader who focuses first on self-transformation will have 
the energy and perspective needed to thrive. A focus on self-
transformation also inspires confidence from employees, and can 
keep a leader attuned to issues of organizational transformation. 
Bob Carlson, board member and recently retired co-CEO of Reell 
Precision Manufacturing in St. Paul, MN, took seriously the 
challenge of living up to Reell's values and principles and in 
the process, found himself transformed: "Having to frame 
decisions within the context of Reell's values and principles, 
has made me a better person." As a result, he found that he had 
more energy, made better decisions, and that employees had more 
confidence in him.

Empower others to take ownership of the organization’s values and 
mission. Help employees to find their personal passions and 
connect those to the organization's values and mission. Once 
employees share the vision for the organization's future, the 
leader's personal load is lightened.  Jean Quinn, co-director of 
Sophia Housing in Dublin, Ireland, is committed to empowering 
everyone in her organization. She recently trained her managers 
in how to see themselves as leaders so they would feel 
comfortable taking more responsibility. Her load was lightened 
and the organization's effectiveness increased dramatically.

Practice listening. Listening is a powerful tool for 
understanding an organization, building relationships, and 
knowing how to invest energy strategically. This practice 
manifests as leaders listen to themselves, to their senior 
leadership team, to individual employees, and to a higher power. 
A leader can also provide guidelines for employees that encourage 
respectful listening. The resources of everyone’s inner wisdom 
then are brought to bear on problem-solving and more effective 
decisions result. Focused listening times can be employed during 
staff meetings, daily briefings, or during separate designated 
listening times. Jim Fitzpatrick, CEO of Mercy Medical Center in 
Mason City, Iowa, commits himself to listening to the pulse of 
the organization, especially when making major decisions. 
Recently he appointed a Mission Discernment task force to help 
him listen to the wisdom of clinicians, financial managers, and 
chaplains in deciding how to address pre-adolescent mental health 
needs. The result? An effective partnership with a local 
outpatient mental health agency that increased energy and vision 
for all concerned.

Take breaks. Everyone needs times of pulling away for refreshment 
and perspective. Leaders can't afford not to take time apart for 
renewal. This can be as simple as a walk outside at lunch, or a 
commute listening to music that feeds one's soul. Seeking out 
supportive friends or mentors both inside and outside of the 
organization can also help refresh the leader. Furthermore, 
leaders can provide opportunities for their teams to be 
refreshed, thus lightening their load. Etta Erickson, program 
director of oncology programs at HealthEast, a healthcare system 
in the Twin Cities in Minnesota, holds an annual overnight 
retreat for the oncology leaders' partnership council. Retreats 
include meditation time as well as time for telling funny stories 
and playing golf. Frequent breaks renew energy, give new 
perspective, and increase creativity and productivity.

There are dozens more ways to avoid burnout and achieve greater 
effectiveness by bringing spirituality into the workplace, but 
just start by following these four simple strategies and see how 
quickly your energy is renewed. 
 

Margaret Benefiel, PhD, teaches spirituality and organizational 
leadership at Andover Newton Theological School in Boston, and 
is CEO of ExecutiveSoul.com.  Author of Soul at Work: Spiritual 
Leadership in Organizations (Seabury Books, 2005), she speaks 
widely, leads workshops and retreats, and offers spiritual 
direction to executives and organizations.   She serves as 
Program Chair of the Academy of Management's Management, 
Spirituality, and Religion Group. Over 300 executives, managers, 
and other leaders have participated in her seminars and courses. 
Learn more at http://www.ExecutiveSoul.com