Burnout has become the quiet epidemic of modern work. We tell people to “set better boundaries” or “take more time off,” but the real problem isn’t a lack of self-care—it’s that most organizations are designed to exhaust their people. Fear-based cultures, unclear priorities, and performative busyness have turned overwork into a badge of honor, leaving even the most capable teams running on fumes.
In this episode, Rodney and Sam unpack the systemic roots of burnout and why it thrives inside traditional hierarchies. They explore how teams accidentally reinforce it, how leaders unknowingly reward it, and share real steps to change the system instead of blaming individuals.
--------------------------------
Ready to change your organization? Let's talk.
Get our newsletter: Sign up here.
Follow us:
--------------------------------
Mentioned references:
00:00 Intro + Check-In: What’a silly or inconsequential project to you’ve done just for fun?
03:23 The Pattern: Systemic burnout keeps being met with individual solves, which leads to more burnout
08:21 Team burnout red flag 1: Overhelptfulness
11:10 Team burnout red flag 2: Defeatism
14:04 Team burnout red flag 3: Procrastination
16:44 Team burnout red flag 4: Overwork on busywork
20:41 Team burnout red flag 5: Impatience
23:35 Burnout is tied to short-termism and fear
27:30 Bureaucracy and gaslighting
29:10 Idea 1: Combat busyness with an outcome audit
32:49 Idea 2: Clarify ways of working to cut through bureaucracy
34:29 Idea 3: Design defaults and rules that reduce systemic burnout
36:14 Idea 4: Learn your own burnout symptoms to steer the ship before you reach critical mass
42:00 Idea 5: Enforce work-in-product limits for your team
45:55 Wrap up: Leave us a review and share the show with your colleagues
Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of Coupe Studios.
