Behind the flattering image of the tireless leader, of the “superhero” of modern times, hides a brutal psychological reality: the burnout of managers, managers and entrepreneurs who want to be on all fronts. A phenomenon that questions the very model of leadership.
The myth of the invincible leader
The figure of “Superhero” in business has become an implicit standard. To be a leader is to be a visionary, strategist, coach, communicator, crisis manager … and, preferably, always available. Permanently connected, this injunction is reinforced by digital tools: instant messaging, videoconferences, 24/24 notifications. But behind the mask, there is a person with limits.
Organizational psychology describes this paradox: the more a leader seeks to control everything, the more he cuts off from his deep resources, the more he becomes vulnerable to collapse.
The invisible signs of superhero fatigue
Contrary to what we believe, the burn-out does not happen brutally. It is built in small touches, often invisible.
Researchers speak of “progressive wear”:
- Hyper-control: refusal to delegate, fear that things be badly done without his intervention.
- Permanent availability: incapacity to disconnect, emails and calls until late at night.
- Erosion of motivation: the pleasure of work disappears, replaced by exhausting mechanics.
- Emotional isolation: To maintain the image of the strong leader, the person hides their doubts and locks himself in a silent solitude.
To these symptoms is often added a feeling of imposture. “Many exhausted leaders tell us:” I play a role, if the others knew how much I am on the edge of the abyss, they would not follow me “, notes Éric Dufresne, leadership coach.
The superhero, paradoxically, ends up feeling like an impostor in his own role.
When exhaustion destroys leadership
Fatigue is not only an individual problem. It has direct consequences on the quality of leadership.
A burn-out leader decides less well: his choices become impulsive or hesitant and communicates more badly (his stress is transmitted to the teams). He tends to no longer see the essentials and to lock himself in the operational instead of keeping a strategic vision. This creates a toxic climate with collaborators who feel their exhaustion and imitate it or undergo it.
In the long term, this weakens the entire organization. Recent studies show that the burn-out of a leader increases the risk of turnover by his team by 25 %. The exhaustion is therefore contagious.
Why does this model persist?
One might think that modern society, more aware of the mental health issues, would have corrected this flaw. But the culture of “superhero” persists.
Three main reasons:
1/ The cult of performance: in a competitive environment, displaying your fatigue is perceived as a weakness.
2/ The valuation of availability: being permanently reached is often confused with efficiency.
3/ The lack of psychological training of leaders: few management schools teach emotional regulation, intelligent delegation or burn-out prevention.
In short, we teach leaders to wear a cape, but rarely to remove it.
The real strategies that save
So, how can we prevent the myth of superhero from being transformed into a silent tragedy? The solutions exist, but they assume a change in radical posture. Here are those who, according to research and testimonies, actually work.
1/ Delegate, really delegate
Many leaders think they are delegating … while they are content to delegate secondary tasks while keeping the heart of all decisions.
The true delegation supposes two things: confidence (accept that someone does differently) and acceptance of letting go.
A CEO interviewed in a Harvard Business Review survey summed it up as follows: “The day I understood that my role was not to answer all the problems but to teach my teams to answer without me, I found my health. »»
2/ Put borders in time
Setting disconnection schedules, even as a manager, is not a luxury but a discipline.
Some adopt the “rule of two evenings”: two evenings a week without emails or work. Others establish an end -of -day ritual (close the computer, write the three priorities the next day) to report to the brain that the day is over.
Neuroscience shows that rest is not a waste of time, but a condition for cognitive performance. A rested brain makes better decisions.
3/ Build a peer network
Leader’s loneliness is one of the major factors in burnout.
Participating in circles of leaders, exchanging without mask with other people confronted with the same pressures, makes it possible to normalize your emotions and to break the isolation.
4/ Work on your identity as a leader
Many exhaustions come from a confusion: the leader believes to be his role. When the role vacillates, it collapses.
The key is to redefine otherwise: being also a parent, friend, sports enthusiast, citizen. The more the identity is diversified, the less the professional shock destroys the person.
This is what psychologists call “identity resilience”.
5/ Practice self-compassion
A concept that is still unknown in the world of management, self-compassion is to deal with the same benevolence as we would do for a collaborator.
Instead of saying “I am not up to par”, learn to say “I do my best in difficult conditions”.
Kristin Neff’s research, a pioneer on the subject, show that self-compassion drastically reduces the risk of burnout by reducing mental rumination.
6/ Take care of the body as a leadership tool
Sleep, nutrition, physical activity: these fundamentals are often neglected by leaders for the benefit of their agenda. However, they are the very basis of sustainable leadership.
A leader who sleeps badly makes biased decisions, a leader who neglects his body sends a contradictory message to his teams.
More and more companies introduce Mindfulness, Collective Sports or Nutritional Coaching programs for their leaders.
From individual fatigue to a collective issue
The tiredness of superheroes is not only a personal problem. It is a matter of governance.
A collapsed leader leads to his organization in a turbulence area. Conversely, a leader who takes care of him transmits a healthier and lasting culture to his entire team.
Some companies are starting to integrate it into their model with sustainable management training for senior executives, the integration of leaders’ well-being indicators in governance as well as the promotion of leaders who know how to preserve themselves than exhausting.
It is a cultural revolution: moving from the cult of the lonely hero to the recognition of the human leader.
