Work in Progress Lab’s Post

Why Burning the Candle at Both Ends Can Dim Your Brightest Light I once worked closely with a colleague who believed that working harder and faster was the key to success. They were always the first in and last out. But over time, I saw their energy fade, creativity stall, and motivation drop. Despite all that effort, their results stopped improving. This is a classic case of diminishing returns. Imagine driving: going from 10 to 20 mph saves you lots of time, but pushing from 60 to 70 mph only shaves off a few minutes, while increasing risks. The same principle applies to effort at work. Stanford researchers found that long working hours lead to decreased productivity and increased fatigue, showing diminishing returns on effort (Pencavel, 2017). A comprehensive meta-analysis confirmed that beyond a certain threshold, more effort yields smaller improvements and greater exhaustion (Schaufeli et al., 2023). Additionally, motivation studies highlight how exceeding optimal effort can undermine both drive and output (Westbrook et al., 2022). What leads to sustainable outcomes is not just the amount of energy invested, but how and where that energy is applied. Focusing on high-value activities, streamlining workflows, and cutting out unnecessary steps can dramatically raise effectiveness. Common strategies include batching similar tasks, setting boundaries for meetings, and regularly reviewing processes to identify and eliminate waste. Modern technology provides powerful tools that assist with this transition. Artificial intelligence and automation, for example, can handle repetitive tasks and support data-driven decision-making, freeing individuals to focus on creative, strategic, and impactful work. But technology alone is not the answer, its value is maximized when paired with thoughtful process improvements and an ongoing focus on working smarter. The takeaway? Success isn’t about endless grinding, it’s about managing your energy wisely. The brightest, most sustainable results come when you know when to push forward, take a step back to assess where greater efficiency is possible, and recognize when it is time to rest. Burnout isn’t a sign of dedication; it’s a warning. Take care of your most valuable asset, yourself. #BurnoutPrevention #WorkSmart #HumanResources #Leadership #DiminishingReturns #Wellbeing

🧠 Unlock Peak Performance: The Power of Brain Rest In the relentless pursuit of productivity and the complex task of problem-solving, many professionals overlook one of the most powerful tools at their disposal: brain rest. As a McKinsey consultant, I see firsthand the toll that constant "on" time takes on executive function and creativity. Why Rest is Your Secret Weapon 💡 It may seem counterintuitive, but stepping away from a difficult problem is often the fastest route to a solution. Brain rest isn't laziness—it's a critical component of high-impact work: • Boosted Problem-Solving: When your brain is relaxed or engaged in low-demand tasks (like walking or showering), the Default Mode Network (DMN) activates. This network is crucial for creative thinking, future planning, and integrating complex information, often leading to those sudden "aha!" moments. • Enhanced Focus and Resilience: Cognitive load is like a muscle; it fatigues. Brief periods of intentional rest—even just 10-15 minutes—help to replenish the cognitive resources needed for sustained attention and avoiding decision fatigue. • Preventing Burnout: High-achieving environments demand intensity, but sustainable success requires a deliberate rhythm of work and rest. Prioritizing breaks is essential for long-term professional viability and maintaining a sharp edge. 🔑 Actionable Rest Strategies Don't wait until you hit a wall. Integrate short, restorative breaks into your daily routine: • Practice "Micro-Breaks": Stand up, stretch, and look away from your screen every hour. • Schedule a "Thinking Walk": Use a 15-minute walk without your phone to let your mind wander freely. • Embrace Structured Procrastination: If stuck on a major project, switch to a simple, administrative task to give your subconscious time to process the harder problem. True productivity isn't about working longer; it's about working smarter by respecting your brain's biological need for rest. Make the investment—your next breakthrough depends on it. #McKinsey #Productivity #BrainRest #Leadership #ProblemSolving #WorkSmarter

Your team has been through three reorgs this year. The goals keep shifting. The org chart keeps moving. And even the most loyal people are starting to look… tired. You’ve done everything right: the vision decks, the pep talks, the wellness days. But it’s not landing. Because the problem isn’t effort. It’s energy. People aren’t just tired, they’re emotionally out of breath. They’re caught in survival mode, trying to stay afloat while the current keeps changing direction. That’s what I call change fatigue. It’s the silent killer of innovation. Because when your nervous system is fried, your brain literally can’t access creativity or problem-solving. The system says, “We’re in danger,” and shuts down curiosity — the very thing you need most in disruption. This is where Creative Resilience comes in. It’s not about “powering through.” It’s about rebuilding your team’s creative energy, so they can recover, adapt, and imagine new solutions instead of defaulting to fear and exhaustion. In my keynotes and coaching, I help leaders: ✨ Shift from stress mode to curiosity mode. ✨ Use micro-moments of play to reset energy. ✨ Reframe the story of change so people feel agency again. Because resilience isn’t just about bouncing back; it’s about bouncing forward with creativity, confidence, and hope. When teams stop fearing disruption, they start inventing their way through it. 👉 What’s one small thing that helps you or your team reset when the world won’t slow down? #LeadershipDevelopment #TeamResilience #ChangeManagement #WorkplaceWellbeing

The Hidden Burnout Cause No One's Talking About? Flexibility Fatigue. Yes, you read that right. We give employees freedom to work when, where, and how they want. And they're more exhausted than ever. Here's what most leaders miss: It's not the work burning people out. It's the decisions. In this week's Instill Insights, we break down "Flexibility Fatigue." ✅ Why flexibility without structure leads to choice overload ✅ The warning signs of flexibility-driven burnout ✅ How to create team rhythms that reduce daily decision-making ✅ The difference between exhausting flexibility and energizing flexibility ✅ Three steps you can take this week to protect your team Because flexibility should prevent burnout, not cause it. 🔗 Read the full breakdown on Flexibility Fatigue at Instill.ai Have you noticed your team struggling with decision fatigue? Drop a comment below. 👇 #Leadership #Burnout #FlexibleWork #WorkplaceCulture #EmployeeWellbeing #Instill

🔋Energy doesn't lie. Your exhaustion is data. When something is truly right for you, it doesn't drain you - it lights you up. 💡 Not because it is easy, but because it aligns with who you are and what you're meant to do. Most professionals are climbing ladders leaned against the wrong walls. They mistake busy for productive, stress for importance, an exhaustion for success. We see this pattern everywhere:👇 - The high performing chasing the corner office. Working 60-hour weeks for a promotion that brings status but zero fulfillment. They get the title, then spend Monday mornings dreading the week ahead. The recruiter grinding through placements. - Hitting number but hating every conversation. They close deals but feel like they're pushing square pegs into round holes. The leader micromanaging everything. - Convinced they need to take control of every detail. They're burnt out while their team waits for permission to think. Here's what we learned. You can work the same hours, face the same challenges, but feel completely different depending on whether the work energises or depletes you. Same effort. Different energy. When you're aligned with what truly maters to you, Monday morning feels different. You still get tired, but you don;t get drained. So ask yourself: What's draining your business right now that you've labelled "normal"? Normalise alignment, not exhaustion. ♻️ Share this if you believe susutainable performance starts with energised people. 📌 Follow us for insights that help businesses scale without burning out their teams.

Burnout in 2025: You’re either building healthy systems… or breaking your people. Here’s what’s really happening under the surface. 💡 Old Culture vs. Healthy Culture in 2025: 1️⃣ Workload ❌ Old: “We just need to push harder.” ✅ New: Capacity is managed before collapse. 2️⃣ Recognition ❌ Old: Reward whoever stays late. ✅ New: Reward whoever builds sustainable results. 3️⃣ Leadership ❌ Old: “We’ll fix it after Q4.” ✅ New: Mental health is a KPI, not an afterthought. 4️⃣ Communication ❌ Old: Meetings, pings, pressure 24/7. ✅ New: Boundaries and async updates by design. 5️⃣ Performance ❌ Old: Activity = success. ✅ New: Energy + clarity = performance. 6️⃣ Team Health ❌ Old: Burnout seen as weakness. ✅ New: Burnout seen as a system failure. 7️⃣ Transparency ❌ Old: Smiles in public, stress in private. ✅ New: Honest conversations before it’s too late. Burnout doesn’t start with exhaustion it starts with architecture that ignores human limits. The best leaders in 2025 don’t just chase output they design for recovery. 💬 Have you ever experienced this? Which part hits home the most for you?

Burnout doesn't mean people aren't strong. It means the system never gave them time to recover. I’ve seen high-performing teams burn out—fast. Not from a lack of talent, but from the constant push with no pause. Leaders love to talk about momentum and velocity. But growth that’s sustainable includes recovery time. We don’t just need goals. We need recovery So here’s my challenge to anyone scaling a team: Build the pause into your process. Make space for your people to reflect, breathe, reset. That’s where creativity lives. That’s where resilience builds. That’s how teams last. If you want long-term output, protect short-term recovery. #EmpathyDriven #ScaleSmart #SalesSensei #WorkSmart

💡 Manage your energy over your time. We talk so much about time management… but the truth is, you don’t lose productivity because you ran out of hours. You lose it because you ran out of energy, clarity, or motivation. Here’s what high-performing professionals do differently: ✅ They protect their mental space ✅ They take breaks before burnout forces them ✅ They choose priorities, not pressure ✅ They switch off without guilt ✅ They don’t let every task become an emergency And this isn’t laziness. It’s smart self-management. Because when your energy is aligned, you think better, decide better, lead better — and grow faster. ✨ In the modern workplace, your real power isn’t in how much you do. It’s in how consistently you can show up as your best self. #Leadership #CareerGrowth #WorkCulture #Productivity #SelfManagement #MindfulnessAtWork #SumanSharma

I went from boardroom comfort to burnout with alarming speed. Titles and targets didn’t protect me; they hid the real problem: I wasn’t leading, I was coping. A single line from my CEO, “Figure it out yourself,” made something click. If a high performer is told to “just get on with it,” what culture have we built? One where people mask exhaustion, avoid difficult truths, and call it resilience. Burnout isn’t a personal failure. It’s often a systems failure… Targets without boundaries. Urgency without prioritisation. “Open door” policies without psychological safety. Promotions that reward endurance over discernment. Since rebuilding, I’ve changed how I think about leadership: clarity over constant availability; recovery as a strategic asset; courage to slow down when speed is performative. Here’s what I’m curious about, and I’d love real, unpolished answers: What’s one leadership behaviour (not a perk) that meaningfully reduces burnout in your team? Where does your culture unintentionally reward overwork or silence? If you could remove one “performative productivity” habit from your organisation, what would it be? Let’s compare notes. If we can’t talk about the conditions that create burnout, we’ll keep treating the symptoms and calling it progress. #Leadership #Burnout #PsychologicalSafety #WorkCulture #WellbeingAtWork