Despite more coaching, more tools, and more insight, executive burnout is still rising — here’s why.
Many of the leaders I speak with don’t use the word “burnout” right away. Instead, they say things like:
- “I feel disconnected from my work.”
- “I’m still performing, but it costs more.”
- “I don’t recognize myself the way I lead anymore.”
Burnout in 2026 looks different than it did years ago. It’s not always about exhaustion — it’s about identity fatigue, constant pressure, and operating in systems that never truly allow for recovery.
Burnout isn’t caused by lack of discipline. It’s caused by prolonged misalignment between role, identity, and internal capacity AND an increasing disconnect from our human-ness that is being accelerated on pace with the adoption of generative AI tools.
What I’ve observed over my two decades of full-time coaching is this:
Most executive and leadership coaching focuses on insight and strategy — but insight alone doesn’t change how a leader cultivates greater resilience and capacity in their body and mind, day after day.
Burnout persists when:
- Awareness isn’t integrated
- Change stays intellectual
- Leaders are asked to adapt without support at a systems level
In my work, the leaders who recover and regain clarity don’t do so by pushing harder. They slow down enough to rebuild internal resilience and reorient what success means for them. When that happens:
- Energy returns
- Focus sharpens
- Leadership feels sustainable again
As you move through the early part of this year, I invite you to reflect:
Are you trying to think your way out of something that needs to be felt, integrated, and supported?
I’m developing a deeper offering for 2026 that addresses this gap — one that works with leaders as whole systems, not just strategic minds.
More soon. For now, simply notice where burnout might be asking for a different kind of response.