Bouncing back from burnout

Burnout isn't a simple function of long hours; it's the product of goals that no one cares about and managers who prioritize meaningless metrics over real impact. The piece argues that the narrative of "just work harder" masks a deeper problem: leadership that creates artificial problems and measures success by easy-to-collect data, not strategic contribution.

The author draws on a five-year stint at Amazon to illustrate how crushing performance targets can demotivate when those targets are disconnected from outcomes. He calls the obsession with output metrics "measureship" and shows how it forces engineers to chase numbers that don't move the business, leading to a double whammy of contradictory requests and suppressed bottom-up leadership.

This dynamic elevates a few "shock workers" while eroding the connective glue that lets high performers deliver. Managers demand constant proof of individual value, draining mental energy and turning good work into a survival exercise. The result is a culture where burnout spreads, not because people are lazy, but because the system siphons purpose and agency.

The remedy isn't a holiday break; it's a reset of the relationship to work. Leaders should question whether the goals they set actually matter, and individuals should consider whether their current role nurtures growth. The author points readers to Ruth Malan's systems-thinking advent calendar as a practical toolkit for modeling a career and regaining direction amid the noise.