Borgman, D. (1986). Leadership burnout. S. Hamilton, MA: Center for Youth Studies.

OVERVIEW

Burnout is a loss of energy and fulfillment in workers previously highly motivated. It is fatigue coupled with despair, afflicting especially those in the helping and serving professions who give much more than they receive. It differs from mere fatigue in being coupled with hopelessness and, unlike clinical depression, it does not arise entirely from within the person. Burnout is psychosocial and its causes are both subjective and external. Organizations, too, can experience burnout when faulty systems tire the institution and cause general fatigue and hopelessness.

The following are common causes of burnout among youth workers:

• Inadequate training leading to chronic frustration.
• Vague job descriptions and a lack of clear, measurable goals.
• Absence of a support system that provides critical feedback for growth and affirmation.
• Lack of variety and organizational advancement possibilities.
• High (self- or other-imposed) expectations and a relentless demand for high performance.
• Lack of exercise and retreats as fountains of integration and renewal.
• Chronic organizational or political problems due to faulty philosophy, structures, or communication systems.

TREATMENT

• Personal reading and life adjustment.
• Support group.
• Burnout or stress management workshops.
• Counseling—involving attention to issues of anger, guilt, excessive expectations, authority and priorities.
• Organizational consultants who may suggest improvements in systems that hinder personal growth and professional advancement, or who may suggest sensible shifts in career direction.
• Personal shift in career or job.

Sabbaticals should not be used as remedies for burnout. A vacation may be entered with fatigue, but not in despair.

IMPLICATIONS

1. Burnout is not socially acceptable. One must care for the burned out person and examine systems that make people more prone to such a crippling malady.
2. Training programs, supervisory or managerial skills, and spiritual direction must all be examined. The potential for burnout in workers must be considered in light of one’s ability to understand and accomplish what is expected and his or her accessibility to appropriate rewards.