The Risk of Being ‘Always On’ as a Woman Leader

Are you “always on” as a leader? If so, you’re likely tired, and you might be on the road to burnout. The fine line between dedication and burnout is one that many women struggle with, as Jenny Mitchell, Chavender’s Chief Visionary Officer, explains in this guest post. Her close work with not-for-profit leaders has provided her insights and actional tips to reclaim balance in both work and personal life that she’s kind enough to share below. Find even more to help women leaders in her new book Embracing Ambition: Empowering Women to Step Out, Be Seen, and Lead.

Guest post from Jenny Mitchell, Chief Visionary Officer of Chavender

What begins as a superpower can end up sabotaging future success.

Women are more likely than men to take on roles where they feel personally connected to their work. Whether it’s a woman that starts her own business because she couldn’t find help for her personal health ailment, or a woman who chooses to work for a specific corporation because of their product, women take on roles that they personally connect with.

And therein lies the opportunity and the risk.

These kinds of roles are called “embodied roles”: jobs where employees overly identify with the cause, the product or its users. It’s also why 80% of the workforce in charity and not for profit are women.

Is there a problem with caring too much about your job? The research says yes.

Women tend to be attracted to roles and causes that they personally identify with. On paper, this sounds great! Women are choosing jobs at organizations that matter to them.

But there is also a dark side. There can be a price to women’s passion. The risk is that women may feel the need to be “always on.” It’s hard to step away from work as an ambitious woman, but with the added pressure of caring deeply about the organization and its products, it becomes very hard to clearly define the line between work expectations and personal commitment.

Burnout is real. And recovering from burnout can take time. If you suspect that you have crossed the line, blurring your personal mission with your company’s missions, try these 3 things to recalibrate your balance between work and home life.

1. Choose – When work starts to get busy, double down on what you choose to complete in a day. You can’t control what lands on your desk, but you can choose what you let fall off of it.
2. Rest – Everything is harder when you are tired. Invest in sleep rather than late night typing, knowing that when you sit down at your desk the next day, you’ll be fresher, and things will move faster.
3. Reflect – Consciously take time each week to reflect on your actions, and how you are doing with refuelling yourself for the next productive week.

Always being on at work (and on weekends) can have serious long-term implications. The impact can last long after your final deadline, or your late night work edits. Plan your rest just like you plan your work.

About today’s writer

Jenny Mitchell, CFRE, DMA, CEC is the Chief Visionary Officer of Chavender where she works closely with not-for-profit leaders to change the world one mission at a time. She is a dynamic speaker, executive coach, fundraising professional, and host of the Underdog Leadership podcast. She is also the author of Embracing Ambition: Empowering Women to Step Out, Be Seen, and Lead uniting twelve exceptional women leaders from across North America with a simple goal: to share their leadership stories as a mentorship resource for the next generation of women leaders.

Have you ever experienced feelings of burnout due to an overwhelming dedication to your work or cause? How did you recognize it, and what steps did you take to address it?