Tag: Burnout

Let’s be careful that we don’t by-pass relationship with God to get on with the activity, and start worshiping at the altar of what we do For Him. Jesus was very careful to point out that what He did was through the authority God gave Him. He also worked at maintaining that close relationship with His Father.

That little yellow mask that drops down from the ceiling in an airplane gives life-saving oxygen in a depressurized cabin. Oxygen is something that we take for granted while our feet are firmly planted on the ground. Sam discusses how our relationship with God is as crucial to leadership life support as oxygen is to the physical body. He outlines how self-deception toward responsibilities can be as detrimental to the physical body as lack of oxygen.

I know a particular leader who is very conscientious and has a hard time giving away power to others. To be sure that things...

I recently recorded another 5 Leadership Questions podcast on the subject of burnout. We talked about leadership, burnout, and caring for yourself. One of...

Previously, I posted on “13 Signs of Leadership Fatigue.” Several readers asked me to write a follow up post about ways to deal with these signs. Maybe these suggestions will help you move past leadership fatigue.

Leadership is sometimes wearisome – so wearisome that we come close to giving up. Over the years, I’ve watched leaders slide into defeat, and I’ve seen some of these common signs of trouble.

Leaders need to be able to say no, but many find it a hard thing to do. When we think of our marvellously creative Lord, we tend to think of His creativity as a resounding YES. This is correct, but let us also be creative in saying NO when we need to, so we can say yes to the Lord’s best for us.

As I look at the way I have typically treated myself – when I review the way I think about myself – I realize that I haven’t seen myself as someone the Father of the Lord Jesus delights in. My preoccupation is not with God’s goodness, with His love for which no adjective is sufficient; my preoccupation is on the many ways I blow it – impatience, lack of trust, and impure motivations. The list is endless. You have your list too, don’t you?

Fall follows Summer, which follows Spring and time marches on just as God designed. He limited time for us in set hours in a day, and set days in a week. We think there are not enough hours in a day, but God knew before He created time how mankind would use it. Scott discusses some poignant points about time management, and notes that pride may be the greatest weakness regarding the use of our time.

2014 was the hardest and darkest year in my life. Christmas 2013, I was diagnosed with burn-out. I had to stop work completely. This was incredibly difficult. I was so used to being busy, to having my head filled with stuff, to be carrying on. I have always done so much in my own strength, relying on my own insight. But this proved unsustainable.

While leading yourself is vitally important, it is also extremely challenging. The famous pastor D.L. Moody quipped, “I have had more trouble with myself than with any other man I have ever met.” We struggle with ourselves. As you wrestle with the challenge of leading and caring for yourself, here are some practical ways to avoid burnout.

I am not a medical doctor or counselor, but I have learned the rhythms in my own life and have sought counsel continually from leaders I respect. I have seen and also learned the hard way that pushing through seasons of exhaustion can backfire. Here are signs I look for and encourage other leaders to look for in their own lives.

Most of us are so busy ministering to, or leading and managing others, that we do a poor job of managing ourselves. I want to share powerful principles, from Jesus’ example, for avoiding burn-out ourselves, and to identify the root cause of what often drives us to such destructive lifestyles or behaviors.