Lately, I’ve been noticing something quietly unsettling in conversations with purpose-driven leaders.
They’re still performing at a high level. Still showing up with excellence. Still hitting milestones and moving projects forward.
But under the surface, a different story is unfolding.
It’s not crisis. It’s not collapse. It’s something a bit harder to name:
Burnout that hides behind performance.
Not All Burnout Looks Like Collapse
If you’re someone who’s driven by meaning, integrity, and impact, you’ve likely been applauded for how much you hold, how well you execute, and how steady you remain under pressure.
But here’s what I’ve learned (and not just from working at Fortune 500 companies) from coaching and guiding brilliant leaders at every level:
The most purpose-driven people are often the last to notice when they’ve drifted from their purpose.
They’re busy making a difference. They’re shouldering responsibility with pride. They’re delivering results (and being celebrated for it).
But behind the scenes? They’re tired. Sometimes, physically tired. Most often, existentially.
They’ve started to feel disconnected from their own success. Like they’re climbing a ladder they built, but forgot why.
This was my Oura Ring readiness score earlier this year. 96.
“Optimal,” according to the data. A near-perfect recovery score. I remember seeing it and thinking: Maybe I’ve finally cracked the code.
But sadly, I haven’t seen a score like that since February. Something always seems to be off: disrupted sleep, extra travel, stress, changing priorities.
And that’s the point.
You can be tracking everything – sleep, movement, strain, resilience – and still feel like you’re not quite you.
Data is useful. It helps us tune in. But it’s not the whole picture.
Your body might be “ready.” Your calendar might be clear. But if your work no longer feels meaningful, or your actions don’t reflect your values, your system knows.
That’s why burnout isn’t always about overwork. Sometimes, it’s about misalignment.
And no ring, no score, no metric can fix that for you.
What Realignment Looks Like
Here’s where I invite my clients to begin. And maybe it’ll meet you where you are, too:
1. Audit your energy through the lens of purpose.
What are you doing because it genuinely aligns with your values? And what are you doing because it aligns with an outdated version of success?
2. Use the Energy – Engagement Matrix.
This simple framework (inspired by McKinsey and HBR) helps you understand where you are, and where you may need to recalibrate:
Adapted by Dr. Megan Tranter. Inspired by: McKinsey & Company, “Help Your Employees Find Purpose – or Watch Them Leave” (2021); Harvard Business Review, “Resilience Is About How You Recharge, Not How You Endure” (2016).
3. Finish this sentence:
“I used to love ___.”
It might reveal something you’ve outgrown. Or it might show you where to return.
So, as you finish reading this week’s newsletter (congrats if you made it this far!) remember that you don’t need to burn everything down. But you do need to stay in relationship with your own alignment.
That’s what creates sustainable leadership. That’s what drives real influence. And that’s how you build a career that feels true from the inside.
I encourage you to find the courage to be bitched about.
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