How to Prevent Personal Burnout: Scientific Findings and Practical Advice

“How can a Leader avoid burnout and recover in time?”, “How to resist burnout?”, “How to remain yourself and not burn out?” – If the teams of the Center for Leadership of UCU and “Radio SKOVORODA” had an informal ranking of the most popular questions from the “Leadership Podcast” audience, the issue of burnout would undoubtedly hold a top position.

But is this surprising in Ukraine – a country whose very existence has coincided with times of geopolitical and economic turbulence, existential war, and constant resistance to circumstances? To leave no room for burnout, the executive director of the Center for Leadership of UCU, Andrew Rozhdestvensky, dedicated the third episode of his podcast to the issue of preventing burnout. What were the key insights and recommendations of the host? As always, we break them down in our review! Enjoy your reading!

Preventing Burnout: An (Im)possible Task?

The majority of Ukrainian society tends to treat their psychological issues rather lightly. And burnout, as a state of extreme exhaustion and demotivation, is unfortunately no exception. But should we underestimate something that is traditionally (and mistakenly) attributed to mere laziness? Andrew Rozhdestvensky is convinced that we should not. From the very first minutes of the episode, he refers to relevant research by foreign colleagues:

• Exhausted leaders are significantly more likely to exhibit toxic behavior, which negatively affects the morale of other team members (according to the scientific findings of Allison Byrne and her colleagues in 2014).
• The subjective well-being of leaders predicts their satisfaction with their activities and, consequently, their individual performance (as concluded by Thomas A. Wright and Jerry Goodstein in 2007).
• Ultimately, burnout of a company’s CEO leads to a noticeable decline in organizational performance (as demonstrated by the research of Charlotte Sirén and her colleagues in 2018).

According to our colleague, these factors alone are enough to realize that burnout should not be underestimated. It is a factor that affects not only the leader but also those around them. And ultimately – the success of the entire organization.

So, what can we do to counteract burnout? Here, the host inevitably disappoints those expecting a “miraculous cure”. Just like any other “illness”, burnout requires consulting a specialist. However, what we can do is prevent this state. And in this effort, leaders can rely on two essential tools: subjective well-being and resilience. These are precisely the concepts we will explore in more detail today.

Subjective Well-Being and Resilience: Two Pillars of Successful Leadership?

What is subjective well-being, a concept frequently referenced in the practice of the Center for Leadership of UCU? To paraphrase the most common definitions, it is our internal sense of happiness – that state of life satisfaction that drives us, as individuals, to understand our place in the world and strive for self-improvement.

What are the components of such an ephemeral feeling? According to the model proposed by Andrew Rozhdestvensky, there are three key elements:

• Social well-being – a state of harmonious interaction between an individual and society, which includes a sense of social integration, acceptance, participation in public life, and the presence of quality interpersonal relationships.
• Psychological well-being – reflects the level of self-actualization, personal development, and adaptation to life circumstances.
• Emotional well-being – the subjective experience of positive emotions and overall life satisfaction, as well as our ability for emotional self-regulation and stress management.

Together, these elements form the foundation of life satisfaction, commonly referred to as “self-fulfillment”. But what should we do when our subjective well-being is challenged daily by life circumstances? This is where resilience comes to the rescue.

“Resilience (also known as psychological resilience) as a term comes from [natural sciences, specifically] physics. […] It is our nervous system’s ability [to be flexible], adapt to external circumstances, and eventually return to its initial state”,

explains the researcher.

How exactly does our resilience manifest, and what role do the 11 Virtues of Leadership Character play in its effective application? Stay tuned for the next part of the discussion.

The Leadership Character and Its Role in Overcoming Life’s Challenges

To understand the root causes of burnout, it is useful to turn to the JD-R Model (Job Demands-Resources) first formulated in 2007 by Despoina Xanthopoulou, Arnold Bakker, Evangelia Demerouti, and Wilmar Schaufeli.

The model highlights how a lack of resources affects not only performance outcomes but also the mental well-being of individuals. Simply put, a shortage of necessary resources, combined with excessive demands, negatively impacts both the final results and employees’ motivation to continue working and accurately assess their own capabilities. When this situation becomes chronic, it creates a negative cycle that leads individuals deeper into a state of despair and an inability to take on new tasks. Ultimately, this not only causes a decline in organizational performance but also results in personal burnout.

How can we break this cycle in the context of modern Ukraine, where resource scarcity is a constant challenge for both civilians and military personnel? This question was explored by the Center for Leadership of UCU and the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership at Ivey Business School, represented by Andrew Rozhdestvensky and Lucas Monzani. Their multi-year research led to the 2024 publication titled “The Character of Military Leaders, Subjective Well-Being, and Work in Hostile Contexts: Lessons for Ukraine in a War of Attrition”.

According to their findings, the lack of work resources in the JD-R Model can be offset by the strong Character of the individual. The 11 Virtues of Leadership Character, which we have repeatedly mentioned, serve as an additional variable in the traditional “equation”, helping to achieve the desired outcome. Whether through the application of Ingenuity or interpersonal relationships – manifested as Courage, Temperance, or Collaboration – leaders demonstrate that strong Character has tangible, practical benefits.

“[In situations where we subconsciously sabotage a certain task, it’s important to understand its root cause:] you assess the available resources and realize they are insufficient to achieve the intended goal. Herein lies a trap. Sometimes, it is difficult to objectively evaluate the necessary resources because our brain is [evolutionarily] wired for pessimism. [Recognizing this fact allows us to approach seemingly insurmountable tasks differently]”,

summarizes Andrew Rozhdestvensky.

How to Strengthen Your Resilience

Addressing the core theme of this episode, Andrew Rozhdestvensky references the book “Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges” – a collaborative work by Steven M. Southwick, Dennis S. Charney, and Jonathan M. DePierro, which was introduced to Ukraine with the help of Oleh Romanchuk, Director of the Ukrainian Institute for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and the Institute of Mental Health of UCU.

What practical advice do the researchers offer? They outline ten “rules” for resilience, which the host presents in his own sequence:

1. Maintain Physical Health – Regular exercise, proper sleep, and nutrition directly improve well-being. Whether it’s taking 7,000–10,000 steps a day, incorporating short naps, or paying closer attention to your diet, these small actions significantly strengthen your body in a world filled with stress and challenges.

2. Strengthen Your Moral Compass – Adhering to your core values and principles – what the Center for Leadership of UCU calls Integrity – often becomes the most effective support system for leaders during difficult times.

3. Cultivate Spirituality – Faith, meditation, or mindfulness can provide strength in difficult moments. They also enhance inner peace, concentration, and clarity – an idea reinforced by our collaboration with Elizabeth Stanley in popularizing the MMFT (Mindfulness-based Mind Fitness Training) technique.

4. Find Meaning in Difficulties – View crises as opportunities for personal growth. Looking to role models such as Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, Viktor Frankl, Omelyan Kovch, or Patriarch Josyf Slipyj can provide guidance even in the most challenging situations.

5. Maintain Social Connections – A strong network of friends, family, and colleagues provides crucial support in overcoming crises. Prioritizing face-to-face interactions further enhances these relationships.

6. Embrace Challenges – Replace avoidance of difficulties with active problem-solving. As highlighted in the first podcast episode, one of a true Leader’s Missions is to uncover the real state of the world.

7. Develop Cognitive Flexibility – Shift perspectives on problems, explore alternative solutions, and prevent challenges from overwhelming you.

8. Foster Optimism – Positive thinking helps frame difficulties as challenges rather than catastrophes. In this context, a sense of humor is a key indicator of a healthy mind.

9. Regulate Emotions – Train your ability to remain calm in high-pressure situations.

10.  Be Proactive – Take responsibility for your life instead of merely reacting to circumstances. After all, 80% of what happens in our lives is within our control. Recognizing this gives us a powerful tool for change.

Final Thoughts

So, what are the key takeaways from the third episode of “The Leadership Podcast”? According to Andrew Rozhdestvensky, the direct opposite of emotional burnout is a sense of subjective well-being, shaped by social, emotional, and psychological components. In turn, resilience, combined with a well-developed Leadership Character, serves as an effective shield for mental health against external pressures.If we aim to cultivate this quality within ourselves, then in addition to “Resilience”, we should explore Dean Williams’ books “Real Leadership” and “Leadership for a Fractured World”, as well as the cornerstone study on character development, “Developing Leadership Character” by Gerard Seijts, Mary Crossan, and Jeffrey Gandz. Meanwhile, publications of the Center for Leadership of UCU or participation in our annual international scientific and practical conference “Well-Being Leadership Conference” will serve as additional resources for growth on this challenging yet deeply rewarding journey of personal Leadership. And we sincerely wish you success on this path!