The Mask Behind Your Leadership Burnout
- Drew Turner
- May 25
- 4 min read
If you’re feeling the quiet pressure to perform, constantly second-guessing yourself, and wondering why leadership feels so heavy—you might be experiencing leadership burnout.
But not for the reasons you think.
You ever catch yourself thinking, “Why do I have to work this hard just to be taken seriously?”
Or maybe it sounds more like:
“If I don’t double-check everything, someone’s going to question me.”
That quiet pressure. That constant second-guessing.
It’s the mask.
And you’re not the only one wearing one.
Let’s talk about where it comes from—and how to start taking it off.
You didn't choose the mask, you learned it
You didn’t wake up one day and decide to wear a mask.
You learned it.
Maybe you were the responsible one in your family.
Maybe you were praised early in your career for always being available, agreeable, or adaptable.
Whatever the role, it became a way to be seen. Safe. Valued.
“I thought this was just who I was. But the truth? I was afraid of being a burden.”
Over time, the performance stopped feeling like a performance—it just felt like who you had to be to succeed.
And for a while, it worked.
But now? It’s wearing you.
What Jung Called the Persona
Carl Jung had a word for this version of ourselves: the persona.
It’s the mask we wear to navigate the expectations of the world around us.
In leadership, the persona often sounds like:
“I’ve got this handled.”
“No, I’m fine—really.”
“Let me just take care of it.”
“The persona helps us function. But when we start believing it’s who we are—we lose touch with the parts we’ve silenced to maintain it.”
It’s not inherently bad.
The persona helps us function. It’s the role we’ve been conditioned to play.
But when we start believing the role is the real us, we lose connection with the parts we’ve silenced to maintain it—our softness, our creativity, our truth.
3 Signs Your Leadership Burnout is About More Than Stress
If you’re feeling disconnected or drained, your mask might be weighing you down more than you realize.
You feel disconnected from praise.
You hear “You’re doing amazing!”—but it hits weird.
Like they’re celebrating a version of you that isn’t quite real.
You’re always on.
Even after hours, you’re replaying conversations, questioning your tone, or wondering if you said too much—or not enough.
You miss yourself.
There’s a version of you that feels lighter. Clearer. More grounded.
You just haven’t felt her in a while.
If you nodded to any of these, you’re not broken. You’re just ready to come home to yourself.
How to Start Taking the Mask Off
You don’t need to rip the mask off.
You just need to start loosening it.
📝 Journal This:
What role do I feel expected to play at work?
What is playing this role protecting me from?
How does always having to play that role become a burden for me?
What would open up for me if I didn't always have to play that role?
This isn’t about oversharing or losing credibility.
It’s about letting your nervous system experience honesty and belonging at the same time.
What This Looked Like for Me
On the outside, I was the professional, driven, logical, and constantly proving I could carry it all.
But underneath, I was carrying something else too: the caretaker.
The one who says yes. Who fixes. Who never drops the ball—even when it’s not hers.
I thought that was just who I was. But if I’m honest?
I was afraid of being a burden.
So I worked harder, said less, and pushed myself until it started to affect everything—my health, my relationships, and the pressure I put on myself to succeed.
I’d cancel appointments, skip meals, ignore the tension in my body—just to keep showing I could handle it.
And then, something shifted.
A request came through for something that wasn’t in my swim lane.
In the past, I wouldn’t have even paused—I’d feel responsible, jump in, and silently carry the weight. Saying no didn’t even feel like an option.
But this time, I said:
“That’s not mine to own.”
“That moment felt like more than a boundary—it felt like telling myself: you matter too.”
And I let it go.
It was one sentence. But it felt like so much more.
It felt like telling myself: you don’t have to over function to be worthy.
It wasn’t just a boundary. It was a moment of truth.
And if I could choose to show up differently—so can you.
Healing from Leadership Burnout Starts with Permission
You don’t need to over-perform to prove your worth.
You don’t have to shrink your voice to keep the peace.
You don’t have to wear the mask to be taken seriously.
You can be strategic and soft.
Capable and unsure.
Confident and compassionate.
You are allowed to be all of you—especially in leadership.
Because your presence is powerful. And your truth is enough.
If you made it all the way here, I’m guessing this resonated.
You’re not alone—and you don’t have to keep leading with a mask.
If you’re nodding along, you’ll probably love next week’s post:
You Don’t Need to Lead Like a Man to Be Respected
We’ll explore how to lead powerfully—without shrinking, softening, or self-editing who you are.
If you’re on this journey too, make sure you’re subscribed—I’ve got more tools, reflections, and real talk coming your way.
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