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4 Burnout Triggers in the Workplace (and Tips for Exhausted Teams)

When in his twenties, Steve Jobs's leadership style was \(in a word\):

Moody.

_"You should hate each other...,"_ he once barked to a product team.

In terms of leadership traits, there was Good Steve, and Bad Steve, according to his biographer Walter Isaacson. When he walked into a room, there was always a chance of a terrifying Steve storm.

And, the way a leader walks into the room can **change team behaviour.**

Is your arrival at work having the same effect?

* Either, the mood and performance of the team and individuals will be **boosted.**
  * Or, the mood and performance of the team and individuals will be **lowered.**

When a leader walks into the workplace, research proves one of two things will happen.

The leader is "bringing the weather."

_"Leaders bring the weather. That is, when a great leader walks in to the room everyone is on notice, and everyone notices. The energy is palpable,"_ Bob Anderson tells us in his co-authored book "_Scaling Leadership."_

The CEO or other leader arrives and everyone in the workplace **micro-adjusts their behaviour.**

That's right. Within moments of the leader entering the room or work site, each team member is either relaxing, and contributing, or they are alert to danger and remain cautious, reserved, and careful.

It happens in just seconds. And, most leaders have absolutely no idea at all that it does.

[Free Download: 10 Leadership Qualities That Will Help Solve Challenges in 2024](https://thegrowthfaculty.ac-page.com/leadershipqualities)

What is the team leader doing that's affects team culture so powerfully?

When you're a leader, your mood is the weather.

That's right. You don't have to say a single word. You might just walk to your desk.

But, you are sending out powerful signals to your team by doing so.

*   Does the boss appear to be in a good mood? (Its safe)
    *   Is she slumped? (There's danger)
    *   Did he go straight into his office and shut the door? (There's danger)
    *   Did she avoid my eye contact? (There's danger)
    *   Was she heard laughing outside the door? (It's safe)

What is this weather that the leader brings?

Research shows the leader's mood leads to mood contagion, i.e. the leaders mood is contagious.

That's right. Incredibly, just like a flu (or, ahem, other virus), the _mood_ of the boss will spread to the team.

In research published in _The Journal of Applied Psychology,_ experts found that that when leaders were in a positive mood:

*   individual group members were more positive;
*   whole groups were more positive.

As well, German research shows that the mood of leaders is _transferred_ to team members. Teams _acquire_ their leaders mood, and it influences their performance.

What happens to a team when a leader is in a good or bad mood?

It's all to do with cortisol, how humans differ from gazelles, and something Simon Sinek calls the Circle of Safety.

Why does the leaders mood affect the rest of the team?

Cortisol surges through our bodies when we sense a threat, and helps us prepare to fight, run or hide.

In his bestseller, "_Leaders Eat Last_," Simon Sinek explains cortisol is also behind the feelings of anxiety, discomfort or stress we have at work. Whether the danger is real or imagined, the stress we feel is real. As social animals, we feel stress when we feel unsupported.

_"Whereas a gazelle reacts to the cortisol in their bodies, we as humans want to know the cause of our stress, to understand or make sense of our feelings,"_ writes Sinek.

Sinek says, in trying to explain our unease, we cycle through any number of things we did, or did not do, to help us understand why we feel anxious. He says the paranoia that cortisol creates is just doing its job.

It is trying to get us to find the threat and prepare for it. The problem is, trying to _find a threat_ is distracting.

_"The stress_ \[your team members\] _feel will distract them from getting anything else done until they feel that the threat has passed,"_ says Sinek.

Conversely, a positive mood makes the team feel safe, and they will be more productive.

Cortisol puts us on high alert, and searching for reasons for that alert state

By creating a sense of belonging, Sinek says a Circle of Safety is formed around the people in the organisation. This reduces the threats people feel inside the group, which frees them up to focus more time and energy to protect the organisation from the constant dangers outside, and seize the big opportunities.

Team leaders need to create a Circle of Safety

Hundreds of times a day at work we make up stories to protect ourselves.

Vulnerability and shame expert Brené Brown says that humans are wired to _make up stories_ when data is missing.

*   The boss is in a bad mood = I've done something wrong. I'm losing my job
*   The boss looks distracted = The company is failing

In "_Dare to Lead,"_ Dr Brown says the brain is not a big fan of ambiguous stories that leave unanswered questions and a big tangle of possibilities. In protection mode, it prefers binaries: Good guy or bad guy? Dangerous or safe? Ally or enemy? So, it makes up a story.

And, our brain can get hooked on [thoughts and self-created stories](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/EmotionalagilitySusanDavid) - treating them as facts, says Harvard Medical School professor Susan David, author of _Emotional Agility._

Both Dr David and Dr Brown say keeping staff in the loop helps.

_"Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind,"_ Brené Brown says, meaning communication is key to reducing stress in the workplace. More on this in [_BRENÉ BROWN: 4 REASONS BEING UNCLEAR IS UNKIND._](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/BrenBrown4reasonsbeingUnclearisUnkind)

In the absence of data, people make up stories

The tone, mood, presence, focus and behaviour of the leader is the weather.

According to Robert Anderson, co-author of "_Scaling Leadership,"_ workers can feel it, see it, experience it, and describe how it impacts those around them.

> _They know if this weather either supports what they are trying to create, or destroys it._

Anderson says the weather is the **leader's profile** in action. He says each of us has a leadership profile _._ The way we show up to our people, how we tend to respond to certain situations or crises, what is and is not permissible to discuss, and much more.

_"Since those who work directly for the leader experience the weather firsthand, they are often more aware and capable of describing it than the leader."_

What kind of weather do you bring? Are you aware of it?

The significance of verbal and non-verbal communication traits cannot be underestimated, Steven Scott, author of "_The 15 Disciplines: The essential checklist for productive leaders,"_ said in an interview with Growth Faculty.

_"If you look like you are hiding something, then they will believe you are hiding something,"_ he says.

What helps is simple. Just share what's going on. Information gives immediate comfort and connection to people.

*   Without it, people will make up their own conclusions - which will be counterproductive to your mission and culture
*   Control the messaging by informing relentlessly

Leaders change culture by their traits and behaviours

Former CEO of Twitter (now "X") Dick Costolo was famous for his warm sense of humour. Kim Scott, author of "_Radical Candor,"_ says 90% of staff felt positively about him.

_"Dick often had everyone at Twitter's company all-hands meetings doubled over with laughter,"_ she says.

You are always creating your culture, says Jon Gordon, author of _The Power of a Positive Team._

_"You create it every day by what you think, say and do. You are broadcasting negative energy or positive energy, apathy or passion, indifference or purpose."_

He says team members daily face a world filled with cynicism, negativity and fear. Your job, as leader, is to inspire them with faith in a positive future. It means every day you decide to be a **fountain of energy**, instead of an energy drain.

*   Check your mood, before it affects your team.
*   Notice when stress starts to crack your amour.

Or, as famous New York blogger Seth Godin says, go for a walk [especially when you don't feel like it](https://seths.blog/2014/12/go-for-a-walk/).

You create your culture every day. So be positive.

64% of senior business leaders have suffered from mental health conditions including [anxiety, stress and depression.](https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/doc/infographic-workplace-mental-health)

There are [4 warning signs of a mentally unhealthy leader](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/RUOkLeadersentrepreneursCEOs).

Kevin Lawrence, author of _"Your Oxygen Mask First,"_ recommends leaders arm themselves with the mental health continuum model, and seek help if in the orange or red zones.

Maybe you're being a cranky leader simply because you're not well....

_Healthy \(Green zone\)_

Normal mood, sleep, social activity, energy level, performance, physical wellness.

_Reacting \(Yellow zone\)_

Nervousness, sadness, trouble sleeping, tired, low energy, tension, decreased social activity, procrastination, muscle tension, headaches.

_Injured \(Orange zone\)_

Anxiety, anger, pervasive sadness, hopelessness, restless sleep, fatigue, aches and pains, decreased performance, social avoidance or withdrawl.

_Ill \(Red zone\)_

Excessive anxiety, easily enraged, depressed mood, unable to fall or stay asleep, exhaustion, physical illness, unable to perform duties, absenteeism, isolation, avoiding social events.

If you in the red or orange zone, make an appointment with your family doctor or a mental health expert, to get back on track.

Mental health continuum:

It appears that whats good for the gaggle of geese is also good for the gander.

In research published by the University of Queensland Business School and Malaysia's HELP University, leaders of team members in a positive mood were judged to have performed better and faster than leaders whose team was negative.

Can a positive team lift the leader's performance?

You have a split-second decision when you enter your workplace.

You can decide to walk in with your head up and a smile on your face, or you can sneak in, mumble a greeting, and sit at your desk with headphones on.

One decision, sustained during the day, will lift performance and lead to better results.

And the other, well, you'd have been better off staying at home and pretending you've got the flu.

Photo by [Md Mahdi](https://unsplash.com/@mahdi17?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/man-in-black-crew-neck-shirt-holding-white-printer-paper-XF33zLb6Fkw?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash)

_References:_

_The Contagious Leader: Impact of the Leader's Mood on the Mood of Group Members, Group Affective Tone, and Group Processes_

\_Sy, Thomas & Ct, Stphane & Saavedra, Richard. (2005). \_

_Eugene (Yu Jin)Tee, Neal M.Ashkanasy, and NeilPaulsen (2011, revised 2013) The influence of follower mood on leader mood and task performance: An affective, follower-centric perspective of leadership. Science Direct._

_Catching Leaders Mood: Contagion Effects in Teams by Judith Volmer, University of Erlangen, Bismarckstr. 6. Erlangen 91054, Germany: 29 August 2012_

_"Brutally critical" - how Jonathan Ive, the lead designer at Apple once described him to Wired magazine._

_Scaling Leadership_ co-authored by Robert J Anderson, William A. Adams

_Radical Candor_ by Kim Scott

_Your Oxygen Mask First_ by Kevin Lawrence

Image credits: _https://business.financialpost.com/business-insider/17-extraordinary-stories-of-ordinary-people-who-randomly-meet-steve-jobs (Getty Images and Simon and Schuster)_

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How your leadership style affects those around you

Leaders bring the weather - how your mood affects those around you at work

Keep informed
Stay Inspired

How your leadership style affects those around you

Leaders bring the weather - how your mood affects those around you at work

Keep informedStay Inspired

Keep informed
Stay Inspired