Helen’s Story: From Acceleration to Exhaustion
Helen was thriving in her fast-paced role. Her company saw her potential and was grooming her for a promotion. While she was excited, Helen also felt waves of impostor syndrome creeping in.
Then everything shifted.
A new administrative policy threatened her organization’s international market share, multiplying the complexity and volume of the change management she was responsible for. What once energized her now left her depleted. Helen felt like she was always running but never catching up.
“I went from loving the pace to feeling like I was sprinting on a treadmill—and never getting ahead.”
As the cognitive load increased, Helen’s performance began to suffer. Like many leaders under chronic stress, she maintained her composure outwardly. Internally, though, she felt like she was breaking down. Discouragement and self-judgment took hold. She began telling herself, “I’m failing to rise to the occasion.”
The Burnout Response: Fight, Flight, or Freeze
In the face of overwhelming stress, leaders typically react in one of two ways:
- Overdrive: accelerating activity, working longer hours, pushing harder.
- Shutdown: underperforming, withdrawing, or mentally checking out.
Helen found herself slipping into the latter. The emotional and mental toll of her role outpaced her ability to recover.
Where Mindset Meets Capacity
Helen’s experience is far from rare. When the complexity of a leadership role expands faster than our own capacity, burnout is inevitable.
It’s not a matter of incompetence.
It’s about developmental mismatch.
Even the most seasoned executives experience impaired decision-making when their mindset and physiological stress responses aren’t calibrated for what’s being demanded of them.
How Coaching Can Help
This is where integrated coaching comes in. At Flourish Executive Counseling & Coaching, I combine 20 years of experience in psychology with specialized coaching for senior leaders.
Together, we:
- Shift mindset patterns that sabotage confidence and clarity
- Strategize actionable plans to lead effectively through complexity
- Build emotional intelligence and resilience to manage pressure
“It’s not just about managing change. It’s about supporting the person leading it.”
Are You a Senior Female Executive?
I’m currently interviewing for The Flourish Factor Mastermind—a curated group designed specifically for female executives seeking support, clarity, and personal growth in high-level leadership roles.
Want to explore if this is right for you?