Most leaders I coach describe a constant stretch: deliver results, care for their teams, navigate organizational politics, and somehow avoid burning out. They tell me, “If I can just get through the next quarter, it’ll let up.” Or “We’re down three team members and I’m covering their work. Once we fill those positions, I’ll feel some relief.”
These are real pressures but they rest on a powerful assumption: If I just try harder, I’ll finally get ahead of it.
But what if the problem isn’t effort?
What if the problem is what you’re orienting toward?
During a recent conversation about our new Synthesis Leadership program, my colleague Shelley and I kept returning to the same insight: leaders rarely burn out from overwork alone. They burn out when their actions become disconnected from their purpose, their values, and their well-being.
The antidote isn’t more efficiency or longer hours. As Shelley put it:
“Some leaders take a lot of action, but they don’t have the impact they want. Why? Because the action isn’t grounded in mindful self-awareness. It’s driven by reactivity and overwhelm.”
The Physiology of Overwhelm
Overwhelm isn’t just emotional — it’s physiological. When someone is hijacked by fear or pressure, their nervous system is in a state where clear thinking is nearly impossible.
Until recently, I relied on my brain to think my way out of overwhelm. I’d try to look on the bright side, reframe a setback, or repeat my mother’s mantra: “Dear, it could always be worse.” These are useful strategies but they have a limit. You can’t out-think a body that’s already in a threat state.
Shelley offered her perspective:
“There’s not a lot of constructive action that comes out of overwhelm. When I’m triggered, I’m going to either avoid or overreact. Neither creates the kind of leadership I want to exercise.”
Here’s a simple diagnostic:
If your breath is shallow, your shoulders tight, or your mind racing, that’s reactivity.
If your breath is steady and your priorities feel clear, that’s purpose.
This tiny check-in often reveals what you’re orienting toward.
A Different Approach
Synthesis Leadership invites leaders to shift from fear-based action to purpose-based action. It begins with practices that interrupt the reactive spiral:
• Pause — interrupt the autopilot
• Ground in the body — reset your physiology
• Zoom out — widen the frame
• Choose wisely — act from clarity, not panic
When leaders work this way, they don’t power through. They reorient. And the results are unmistakable:
• less firefighting,
• fewer unnecessary battles,
• clearer boundaries,
• and a steadier sense of what actually matters.
It’s leadership from the inside out. Not softer, but smarter.
A Question to Consider
If you’re feeling stretched thin, ask yourself:
“What’s driving me right now — the part rooted in fear, or the part rooted in purpose?”
Your answer will point the way forward.
👉 Curious what this kind of work could look like for you? Explore the Synthesis Leadership program. We’re launching a course in early 2026.