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Four years ago I became a breaking point.
On paper I had everything – degrees from Harvard and Oxford, a Rhodes -fair, bestsellers and stood next to icons such as Oprah and Richard Branson. I had launched worldwide movements and built international organizations. But inside I was empty.
A traumatic event in 2020 forced me to confront what I had ignored: I was burned out, disillusioned and spiritually disconnected.
I had followed the script for success – performance, recognition, scale – but it had left me physically exhausted and mentally eagerly. And while the personal toll was amazing, the professional costs were even higher. I realized something that many leaders quietly suspect: you can’t lead well if you are empty.
Related: how you can escape Ondernemersburn -Out if you can’t just stop
Fulfillment is not a luxury – it is a leadership strategy
Burnout among top leaders is more than a personal problem. A 2024 Study Found that 55% of CEOs had experienced a psychiatric issue in the past year – an increase of 24% compared to the previous year.
Leaders who feel unfulfilled, make worse decisions, struggles to build trust and to remove the culture. But when leaders feel connected to the goal, teams thrive. Involvement and retention go up. This also applies to creativity, clarity and momentum.
Fulfillment feeds everything.
From a breakthrough to breakthrough
What pulled me out was no other productivity hack – it was a deeper reset. I asked questions that I had avoided: who am I without the work? What really brings me joy? What do I want this all this means?
That journey led me through a complete personal revision biohacking, lifetime medicine and deep self-reflection. But the biggest shift was not physical. It was internal. It was about redefining success – not as output, but as coordination.
This is what I practice now – and share with the leaders that I mentor.
Return your morning
Instead of starting the day in reaction mode (e-mail, weak, task lists), I protect the first 90 minutes for myself. Meditation, movement, reading – which also connects me with the clarity before the sound starts.
Tip: Ask yourself every morning: What would make sense today, regardless of the outcome? Start there.
Check your energy, not just your time
Your agenda reveals what you really appreciate. If most you drain, no supplement or sprint this will solve. I started building “fulfillment time” in my schedule – mentoring, walking, ideating. It made me a better, more current leader.
Try this: Look at last week’s calendar. Mark everything you illuminated in the green. Everything you turned in red. Then make an adjustment.
Leading goal, not just pressure
Statistics matter. But when your only motivator is, Burn -Out is inevitable. Doel supports you.
Create a statement for one line purposes for yourself as a leader. Keep it visible. Let it guide how you pop up for your team.
Talk aloud about fulfillment
For years I had conversations about meaning and private mental health. Now I bring them to Team Check-ins and leadership meetings.
When we normalize these discussions, we build more human, resilient cultures. Try to ask your team: which part of your work has felt the most meaningful most meaningful?
Related: how you can escape Ondernemersburn -Out if you can’t just stop
The wake-up call that ignores too many leaders
If you succeed out but you feel lost, it’s not a weakness – it’s a signal.
Your burnout is not an honorary sign. And your fulfillment is not a personal indulgence – it is a professional responsibility. Because when you are well -founded, whole and targeted, the ripple effect is powerful: stronger teams, healthier cultures and companies that have been built to last for a long time.
You didn’t get that far to feel numb at the top. Do the work. Define what is important. And seemed like that.
Four years ago I became a breaking point.
On paper I had everything – degrees from Harvard and Oxford, a Rhodes -fair, bestsellers and stood next to icons such as Oprah and Richard Branson. I had launched worldwide movements and built international organizations. But inside I was empty.
A traumatic event in 2020 forced me to confront what I had ignored: I was burned out, disillusioned and spiritually disconnected.
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