I Can’t Take It Anymore!

The travel schedule has been in high gear lately, whether I’m having conversations with managers in Fargo, with students in Bloomington and Atlanta or online during our Leadership Masterclass. I’m sensing danger at every level.

One of the most dangerous things happening in the workplace right now isn’t laziness, disengagement or even lack of talent. It’s something far more subtle. Good people are burning themselves out trying to prove they’re still valuable.

A recent article from Korn Ferry explored how burnout today is no longer simply about long hours. Increasingly, it’s being fueled by uncertainty, rapid AI change, constant adaptation and the emotional pressure leaders and employees feel to keep up. Daniel Goleman, the author of Emotional Intelligence, says,

“The standard for ‘good enough’ is consistently shifting as new tools, new capabilities and new expectations arrive before the last ones have even been integrated. For people who are wired to excel, this can be incredibly destabilizing. When the goal line keeps moving, it can feel like no amount of effort will ever close the gap.”

That hit me hard because I think many of us in leadership and sales are unintentionally creating a dangerous cycle. The best people on our teams are often the most vulnerable to burnout. Why?

Because they care.

They raise their hands first. They answer emails at night. They take ownership. They solve problems nobody asked them to solve. They absorb stress for the team. They don’t want to disappoint clients, managers or coworkers. And in a world where AI is changing jobs almost weekly, many people quietly believe they must constantly prove they are indispensable.

That’s exhausting.

A seller used to feel valuable because they had relationships, creativity and insight. Now they’re wondering if AI can write proposals faster, analyze data better or automate part of what they do. So instead of slowing down, they speed up. More activity. More meetings. More pressure. More proving. But here’s the irony. The very strengths that make someone exceptional can become the fuel that burns them out.

• Responsibility without boundaries becomes overload.
• Commitment without recovery becomes exhaustion.
• Drive without purpose eventually becomes emptiness.

And leaders need to pay attention because this isn’t solved by pizza parties, motivational posters or another webinar about resilience. Burnout is often less about capacity and more about permission.

• Permission to breathe.
• Permission to prioritize.
• Permission to not respond instantly.
• Permission to admit uncertainty.
• Permission to be human.

One of the smartest things a leader can do right now is redefine what high performance actually looks like. High performance is not frantic activity.

It’s sustainable contribution. There’s a huge difference.

I talk to managers constantly who unintentionally reward visible exhaustion. The person online at 10:30 p.m. gets praised. The person who never says no gets celebrated. The person juggling five jobs becomes “the rock star.”

Until they quit. Or emotionally disappear while physically remaining.

If you’re leading a team, don’t assume burnout always looks dramatic. Often, the people struggling most are still producing at a high level. Here are seven questions to ask and a bonus:

1. Is your highest performer suddenly quieter or less engaged emotionally?
2. Are people responding to emails and messages at all hours because they feel pressure to always be “on”?
3. Are team members taking vacation time but still working during it?
4. Do employees feel safe admitting they’re overwhelmed, or do they fear looking weak or replaceable?
5. Are your one-on-one meetings focused only on performance metrics and tasks, or do they include genuine conversations about workload, stress and priorities?
6. Is AI and rapid change creating unspoken anxiety about relevance, job security or keeping up?
7. Do your employees clearly understand what success actually looks like, or do they feel like the target constantly moves?

I promised a bonus, perhaps the biggest question of all:

• Are your people merely functioning… or are they actually flourishing?

And leaders, ask yourself these questions about yourself. Great leadership isn’t just about getting more out of people. It’s about creating an environment where people can perform at a high level sustainably without sacrificing their health, relationships and sense of purpose. If you’re “spent” as the leader, your team will feel it.

Human beings are not machines.

And ironically, in an era obsessed with artificial intelligence, the competitive advantage may become leaders who demonstrate genuine human intelligence. Because the goal isn’t to squeeze every ounce out of people. The goal is to help people do meaningful work at a high level without losing themselves in the process.

Think Big, Make Big Things Happen!

Jeff Schmidt is the SVP of Professional Development. You can reach him at Jeff.Schmidt@RAB.com. You can also connect with him on X, YouTube, and LinkedIn.