Code Blue ‒ A Leadership Emergency
- Feb 21, 2022
- 3 min read
Written by: Dr. Tomi Mitchell, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
When the job becomes detrimental to an employee's health, that employee is on the verge of burnout.
Impending Signs of Burnout: Stress, cynicism, bitterness, exhaustion, absenteeism, high turnover rate, high-stress levels, poor morale.
Are you at the point of crisis? Are you flatlining to the end of no return?
Please do not ignore these warning signs of impending burnout, as it can lead to an unacceptable outcome.
If you or a leadership team member have reached this stage – STOP – consult with leadership coaches/consultants immediately! When your leadership body is close to Code Blue – ask for immediate assistance from leadership coaching professionals who can resuscitate your leadership's vital signs before reaching critical mass. With my patients having chest pain, I administer ASA to hope to stabilize the situation and then rapidly reassess the situation. According to a recent study on leadership, burnout costs American businesses at least $150 billion each year in lost productivity. Moral and engagement levels are dropping, and absenteeism rates are on the rise. This creates a domino effect of leadership cynicism and influence throughout the organization. As a result, morale can be low when leadership does not have a purpose or vision in which employees can believe. When leadership does not believe in their philosophy, morale will drop amongst employees. This is a common problem in leadership because leaders might feel that they need to go along with the philosophy of leadership they work for, or their leadership will be in jeopardy. When leaders do not feel secure enough to follow their own beliefs, there is a greater sense of futility throughout the organization. Leadership burnout can happen when leadership spends too much time working and not enough time with family and other activities outside of work. No one wants to see leaders become burned out; it's unproductive for everyone involved—leadership, employees, and customers alike. Leadership burnout should be addressed immediately before other leadership problems arise due to the stressful environment caused by leadership burnout. This leadership ailment is characterized by the leadership's collapse due to burnout. Leadership coaches have seen this ailment spread throughout organizations worldwide, affecting leadership styles everywhere. The effects are quite noticeable – absenteeism, high turnover rate, high-stress levels, and poor ranks. At first glance, you may assume these leadership body part malfunctions are due to external issues unrelated to leadership itself.
As a practicing physician, I have witnessed firsthand the results of warning signs being ignored. I have been at the bedside of individuals who presented to the emergency department, whose health has deteriorated to the point of no return. Every life is precious, and to see individuals and their families experience the consequences of unfortunate situations, is saddening. The leadership body is no different. Leadership rarely collapses out of nowhere, and it is imperative to understand and know how to navigate my leadership challenges. Unfortunately, leadership can fall victim to many risks. However, leading risk factors often go unrecognized until the administration has fallen ill. The central leadership disease process driving these failures is called "burnout." Leaders must take the proper precautions to prevent this leadership illness from spreading throughout an organization.
Ineffective leadership takes a long to recover from; you cannot afford to ignore it any longer. Recognizing the signs of leadership burnout can help you determine if leadership burnout has spread into your organization or whether you are on the verge of falling victim yourself. Please don't be a statistic. Your health and your organization depend on it.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Dr. Tomi Mitchell, MD, is a leader in the health & wellness industry, known for her advocacy for social issues, including health reform. She believes in the whole person's approach to life and health. Rather than resorting to quick fixes, she gets to the root of problems by taking the time to understand her client's emotional, physical, mental, environmental, financial, spiritual, and social health. She believes these factors affect individuals' behaviors and beliefs about themselves and others. Dr. Tomi Mitchell believes that people feel lost or overwhelmed when there is a loss of balance, so she takes such a holistic approach with each client's situation.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell has appeared in many publications, including but not limited to Thrive Global, Fox, NBC, CBS, Global News, CBS & many other news outlets. She has her own blog & leads two ClubHouse clubs, and has been a guest speaker numerous times.
She is a game-changer, and she gets her clients' results and refuses to compromise her integrity by sugar-coating issues. Using over 10 years as a family practitioner and certified life & health coach, she is able to help her clients create transformational, long-lasting results
