When leading wears you out

For decades we have lived with the idea that the entrepreneur is an infallible figure, capable of weathering any storm and building a business through personal sacrifice. This narrative, which is still very present today, has made an uncomfortable reality invisible: people who lead companies also burn out. They also get exhausted. They also suffer. And, until now, they did not have any tool specifically designed for them. That is why it is so relevant that the Pimec Foundation, with the support of the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, MGC Mútua and the Health and Person Foundation, has presented the first guide to burnout for entrepreneurs and self-employed individuals. It is not simply another document; it is an essential change of perspective.

This guide arises from a realization that can no longer be ignored: leading a company implies a very high emotional burden. People in leadership positions often work long hours, make risky decisions, face constant uncertainties and, moreover, do so from a solitude that is not usually verbalized. As the Pimec Foundation points out, business activity entails stress that can lead to deep physical, mental and emotional exhaustion. Until now, the narrative about burnout had focused mainly on workers, but had left aside those who support a large part of the country's productive fabric.

That this is the first tool created exclusively for the use of entrepreneurs is very significant. Not only because it highlights a silenced problem, but because, for the first time, a specific methodology is proposed to detect and address this risk. The guide includes a screening test, developed with the Research Institute – Hospital del Mar, which allows assessing the level of exhaustion, mental distancing and the feeling of ineffectiveness. It is a rigorous approach, which goes beyond superficial advice and offers to know the initial level of burnout with clear criteria. And, above all, it accompanies these results with concrete recommendations according to the level of risk detected, a fact that makes the guide a truly useful and actionable tool.

Even so, the importance of the guide goes beyond its content. Its existence directly challenges business culture. The ideal of the leader who can always handle everything, who doesn't rest, who is available at any time, and who assumes all company responsibilities as if they were an unmovable wall, is not only inhumane: it is counterproductive. When the person who leads is exhausted, the company also is. This is the reality that the guide wants to put on the table and that until now had been avoided.

However, for this guide to represent a real turning point, business owners and self-employed individuals need to decide to incorporate it into their routine, and from there, organizations must assume that mental health is also part of the structure of a healthy company. The prevention of burnout should not be an add-on: it must be a central piece of modern leadership. It requires reviewing schedules, expectations, processes, and ways of working. It requires having uncomfortable conversations about limits, delegation, and self-care. It requires, above all, abandoning the idea that taking care of oneself is a sign of weakness.

It is clear that the challenge is great, but so is the opportunity. Having the first guide of this type opens the door to a new way of understanding business leadership: more human, more sustainable, and more aligned with the well-being of all people involved in the project. In a demanding and changing economic context, where pressure is constant and uncertainties are the norm, having emotionally healthy leaders is not only desirable, it is essential.

What comes next will depend, to a large extent, on how this initiative is received. If the guide serves to legitimize emotions, to destigmatize fatigue, to normalize the need for support, and to change the way we understand corporate responsibility, then yes, we will be facing a before and after. For now, the mere fact that it exists is already a victory: it is the first step on a long path that can transform the business world. And, above all, it is a necessary reminder that leading should not be synonymous with burning out.