Leading with Care: Supporting Recovery from Burnout and Stress
Why how you lead after burnout matters just as much as before it
Burnout isn’t a buzzword—it’s real, rising, and reshaping the way we think about leadership in Australian workplaces.
We know how it shows up: exhaustion, cynicism, poor performance, disengagement. What we talk about less is what happens after. After someone’s hit the wall. After they take leave. After they return, quieter than before.
This is where leadership matters most.
Because recovery from burnout isn’t just a personal journey—it’s a cultural one. And whether someone stays, heals, or burns out again often depends on how supported they feel by their leader.
The Leadership Gap After Burnout
Most leaders don’t mean to mishandle burnout recovery—they just don’t know what it looks like. They:
Assume rest has fixed the problem
Avoid the topic, unsure what’s safe to ask
Expect a quick return to “normal”
Overload people again because they seem “better”
But burnout isn’t fixed with annual leave. And silence from leaders doesn’t feel like care—it feels like being left to manage alone.
What It Actually Means to “Lead with Care”
Leading with care doesn’t mean fixing. It means noticing. Responding. Holding space. Adjusting expectations. Checking in.
It’s about understanding that recovery is not linear. Some days will feel productive, others heavy. The nervous system doesn’t reset in two weeks.
Care looks like:
Asking, “What would support look like for you right now?”
Protecting space from back-to-back meetings or new projects
Advocating for manageable workloads
Helping them re-prioritise, not just reintegrate
Talking about burnout without shame or pressure
5 Ways Leaders Can Support Real Recovery
1. Have the brave conversation
Burnout thrives in silence. Check in genuinely—without tiptoeing.
“It’s good to have you back. How are you really feeling about work right now?”
2. Adjust expectations, even if they don’t ask
People recovering from burnout often feel guilty for slowing down. You might need to take the lead:
“Let’s ease into this—no rush. We can reprioritise together.”
3. Be aware of the “quiet relapser”
Just because someone shows up doesn’t mean they’re okay. Keep checking in regularly, even after the initial return.
4. Model boundaries and rest
If your team sees you powering through, replying at all hours, or pushing through illness—they’ll copy that. And the burnout cycle continues.
5. Talk about what led to the burnout
Not to assign blame, but to learn. What wasn’t working? What needs to change—workload, culture, expectations? This is how organisations actually grow.
From Individual Recovery to Culture Change
Burnout is never just one person’s fault. It’s a sign that something in the system needs attention.
The most caring thing a leader can do? Look at what the team or organisation needs to shift—so no one else reaches that edge.
Recovery is care. But so is prevention.
Leading with care isn’t soft. It’s skilled, strategic, and essential.
It builds trust. Retains talent. And creates workplaces where people don’t have to choose between doing great work and staying well.
Because the goal isn’t just to help people bounce back. It’s to make sure they don’t break in the first place.