
#1 Global Thought Leader on Executive Loneliness, International Bestselling Author and TEDx Speaker

The Fulfilled Leader with Jean Balfour
April 24, 2023
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About this episode
We're living through a wave of headlines about burnout, disillusionment, and generational rebellion at work. Millennials are exhausted. Gen X are questioning why they're still doing this. And yet, alongside all of this, Jean is coaching people who are genuinely thriving in the same landscape.
In this episode, Jean shares her own view on what's really driving this moment - and a slightly controversial take on what to do about it. Spoiler: it's down to us.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE
The real factors behind the current wave of workplace burnout and disillusionment - from always-on culture to "regrettable retention."Why our identities get so tangled up with work, and how that keeps us stuck.Four choices you always have when you're struggling at work - and how to tell which one is right for you.How to use Stephen Covey's circles of control, influence, and concern to stop spinning on things you can't change.A real story of how one conversation with a boss completely redesigned someone's role - without them having to leave.WHY THIS MATTERS
It's easy to feel like a passenger in your own career right now - at the mercy of restructures, difficult managers, and a job market that makes leaving feel risky. But organisations will always make decisions based on shareholders first, employees third. Waiting for work to fix itself, or complaining without acting, keeps us stuck and drains our energy.
This episode is about taking back agency - not by ignoring how hard things are, but by getting honest about the compromises we're making, and choosing our own path with integrity.
RESOURCES AND LINKS
The Way of Integrity by Martha Beck
Free values assessment (sign up to Jean's newsletter):
Career Transitions podcast with Vanessa Iloste and Vanessa Teo
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Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanbalfour/

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