Are you the go-to person who never says no at work?

Do you find yourself working late into the night, even when you're at home?

Is your desire to please others damaging your own health and well-being?

Burnout often affects the most conscientious and agreeable among us. It's not just about being tired all the time – it's a state where your dedication and people-pleasing nature start working against you, affecting both your professional and personal life.

Because:

👉 Highly conscientious individuals tend to overwork, especially in remote settings

👉 Agreeable personalities hate conflict and as a consequence struggle to set boundaries and say no to additional tasks

👉 Perfectionists often prioritise work excellence at the expense of personal well-being

Instead:

➡ Recognise that saying no is an important leadership skill – practice it regularly

➡ Set firm work hours, even when working from home, to protect your personal time

➡ Strive for wholeness rather than perfection. Aim to be a good parent, partner, friend, etc., as well as a good manager

➡ Encourage open discussions about workload and stress in your team

➡ Develop interests outside work to help you maintain a balanced identity

In other words… Your conscientiousness and agreeableness are strengths, but they need to be balanced with self-care and boundary-setting. By understanding your personality traits, you can better protect yourself from burnout and lead more effectively.

Want to find out more about how your personality impacts your leadership and well-being? Take a look at my two books on burnout, Antiburnout and Burning Bright Without Burning Out (you can find them on Amazon).

 👉 Connect with me to read my posts on the psychology of leadership.

👉 DM me to discuss how I can help your team or yourself to minimise the risk of burnout.

👉 Tune in to the Financial Management podcast to hear my interview on Curbing burnout: Advice for making sure you switch off from work.