‘I’m sorry Anu? What do You think you’re doing? What does pressing RESET mean?’

Well for starters my dear readers and friends it means that I’m starting over in my career and business. ‘Huh??’

Well don’t worry, let me explain.

For the last almost seven years I got hit by something quite insidious.

Burnout, a term first coined in the 1970s by psychologist Herbert Freudenberger, has evolved into a critical concept in understanding modern workplace dynamics.

‘But you were not in the formal workplace Anu- you were an entrepreneur- how did you experience burnout? You didn’t even have someone to answer to- you were the one setting the rules!’

Well, it certainly looks that way but let‘s delve deeper:

According to studies, burnout amongst entrepreneurs is particularly nuanced because it’s frequently fueled by intrinsic motivation—passion, personal investment, and the desire to make a vision a reality. This can blur the lines between work and life, with entrepreneurs often sacrificing their health, relationships, and personal time to keep their businesses afloat. Over time, this can create a dangerous cycle where personal identity becomes entangled with professional success, making any setback feel deeply personal.

Also, some triggers identified by neuroscience as likely to cause burnout include:

·       Lack of Control

·       Values Conflict

·       Insufficient Reward

·       Work Overload

·       Unfairness

·       Breakdown of Community

To some extent, all of these triggers affected me but the one that affected me the most was around values conflict. You see I had started my company with the assumption that I was doing something positive, something that was helping the individuals we were placing and my team members. My agenda and how my company was creating a positive impact were very clear in my head in the beginning, but somewhere along the line with the growing team and different challenges I kind of lost track. We did do very well and grew and grew until one day we just stopped because it was no longer something I myself understood or cared about.  This hit me hard and I didn’t know I was experiencing burnout till I ended up in the hospital a little while ago…

But I also remain someone who cares deeply about our world and the challenges we face. When writing a book a few years ago I came across something which stayed with me. Research suggested that the world thinks that governments while well-intentioned tend to be viewed as not very competent and that private businesses while seen as competent seem to have issues around ethics. Then Covid hit and companies did seem to stand up to the challenge and make a positive difference even if many have now resorted to ‘greenwashing’ and ‘well(being) washing’. The BCorp movement however still gives me hope even if one of the pioneers of social impact thinking, Unilever is heading backwards.

My big learning from all this has been that not everyone sees things the same way and when hiring now I need to consciously assess the desire for the same impact I’m looking to create. I’m looking not just for individuals who understand their personal motivations but are also interested in work that is in sync with their priorities. I want to sustain my company’s growth without losing sight of what I wish to create in the world, and I need to do it with individuals who are able to sustain their work with me because they too have identified how it aligns with their own personal values and motivations.

Aha! That’s when it hit me. Not only do I need team leaders for my company who understand their personal motivations and are keen to take up work aligned with them, but so do other companies.

It turns out that burnout is 100% beatable by addressing the underlying triggers. And guess what? I’ve had my ‘aha’ moment, my moment of realization and insight. I’ve realized we are in the business of placing leaders. Every one of the individuals we have placed (except maybe one sadly), we are proud to have placed and they have gone on to thrive and grow in their careers. And even if it looks like I had very little to do with the success of my company because I chose to stay in the background and let my team members shine, well I did, and guess what, I trained and created stars.

Anyway, I’m shifting course. I’ve realized we need different leaders for today. Leaders who are self-aware and are aligned with their core values. This self-awareness leads them not only to make more aligned decisions but also reduces the risk of their burning out while trying to do something they believe in. We need leaders who can drive transformation and transformative solutions in a world that desperately needs bold leadership. Who can balance the seemingly conflicting worlds of profit and stakeholder impact. And I am very, very excited to say that we are launching again, this time as a leadership coaching company so that we help make the leaders that we place even more effective. Our coaching services are designed to drive self-reflection, insight, and transformation so individuals can be more intentional in their decision-making and day-to-day. Watch this space…

Anu D’Souza runs Bricoleur Consulting, a leadership coaching and recruitment company focused on the digital and technology industries. A thought leader on innovation, transformation and leadership, Anu has spent many years with companies like Unilever, Ogilvy and BBDO and has lived and worked in multiple cultures and geographies. Having served on multiple Boards Anu is currently the Marketing Advisor to the Board of womenoffatorda.in, an e-commerce start-up supporting village women in Goa, India and volunteers with the Council of Single Mothers and their Children in Australia. She regularly writes about employee motivations, and on leadership for tomorrow. Anu is also the author of ALIGNED Why CEOs need Company Brand Alignment in the Age of a Questioning Workforce. You can reach her on [email protected].