High performance is celebrated in business. But when does commitment tip into compulsion?

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared in Monday 8am

Mercer’s 2024 Global Talent Trend Report found that 82% of the global workforce is at risk of burnout due to overwork and exhaustion. For business leaders, that statistic is not about individual resilience. It signals a systemic leadership issue. When burnout becomes widespread, it reflects culture, expectations and modelling from the top.

Productivity itself is not the enemy. It drives innovation, competitiveness and growth. The problem arises when more becomes the only metric that matters. In that environment, leaders may appear efficient while slowly eroding their own effectiveness.

Leadership behaviour sets the pace. When senior figures send emails late at night, skip leave or glorify packed schedules, others follow. Modelling healthier rhythms is not a soft gesture; it is a strategic decision. Take visible breaks. Step away for lunch. Protect personal commitments. Use PTO openly. Signal that sustained performance requires renewal, not constant acceleration.

Few leaders, at the end of their careers, wish they had attended more meetings. Enduring success is built over decades. It depends on judgment, energy and perspective — all of which deteriorate under chronic overwork.

Signs of toxic productivity include:

• Always working. Work spills into evenings and weekends. Leave remains unused and genuine downtime is rare.
  • Overscheduled days. Calendars are filled to capacity, sometimes double-booked, leaving no margin for strategic thought.
  • Always on 24/7. Stress becomes the baseline rather than the exception.
  • Difficulty slowing down. Rest triggers guilt instead of recovery.
  • Self-worth tied to output. Achievement becomes the primary source of identity and validation.

Reset your relationship with productivity

1. Scheduling. Re-evaluate how time is structured. Overloaded calendars are often a leadership choice rather than an inevitability. Build space between commitments. Question recurring meetings. Protect thinking time as rigorously as operational reviews.
2. Mono-tasking. Multitasking dilutes attention and weakens decision quality. Commit to one priority at a time, particularly for strategic work. Delegate, automate or eliminate tasks that do not directly support core objectives.
3. Micro-reset. Continuous activity prevents mental integration. Short pauses throughout the day — even a few minutes of quiet — allow the brain to consolidate information and restore focus. Strategic clarity often emerges in moments of space.
4. Emotional regulation. For many leaders, busyness becomes a shield against uncertainty or discomfort. Developing emotional awareness through reflection, coaching or structured pause helps prevent work from becoming an avoidance strategy.
5. Self-worth. Leadership value cannot be measured solely in output. Sound judgment, empathy, creativity and steadiness under pressure are equally critical. Broadening the definition of success reduces the compulsion to equate constant activity with effectiveness.

Toxic productivity is rarely intentional. It grows from ambition, responsibility and the desire to lead well. But without conscious boundaries, it can undermine the very performance it seeks to enhance. Sustainable leadership requires discipline not only in driving results, but in protecting the capacity to produce them.