Elite Stress – The Silent Killer of Top Executives

“It won’t happen to me” is probably one of the most dangerous expressions you can encounter – especially in the business world, where the HE-man syndrome still holds a very firm grip on most leaders. But the truth is – it can happen to you. It certainly happened to me … even though I’ve spent years teaching leaders precisely how to avoid burning out or breaking down.
I’ve led countless Mindful Leadership workshops and delivered heaps of talks on high performance for executives. Many of you may know me as an instructor – either through SEB Gruppen A/S (today Origo), or via institutions such as Teknologisk Institut, IDA, Lederne.dk, Momentum, and many more who have hosted my lectures. Even more may know me through my bestselling books: How to Handle Difficult People, The Inner Leadership, Be Generous and Prosper, or The Art of Saying No.

With more than 30 years of experience in the lecture business and teaching – and with more than 495,000 participants since I began – you can’t really avoid coming across ME in Danish business life (as the saying goes). And certainly not when it comes to executive coaching, where I have guided more than 400 top leaders worldwide. There isn’t much I haven’t seen when it comes to exhaustion and the relentless hunt for the next “prey.”
I’ve seen all the symptoms, heard all the stories – from the executive who suddenly couldn’t remember how to get through an airport, so I had to guide him over the phone … to the man who broke down crying uncontrollably in a reception … to the woman who, in desperation, sold her company – her life’s work – for almost nothing because she was burnt out, only to bitterly regret it later. I thought I had seen and heard it all. And I dared to believe I had the theoretical knowledge and insight to spot the symptoms and act on them. So of course, it couldn’t possibly happen to me – right?

Just to be clear: I was deeply rooted in Positive Psychology, Resilience Research, and Energy Management – principles I had already written about in How to Handle Difficult People back in 1990. I believed I was standing on solid ground. But then came the loss of meaning – and all my golden eggs shattered on the floor.

Now – on the other side, four years later – I believe it is wise to lift my personal story onto a more general level so that you can learn from both my solid professional expertise and my very costly personal experiences.

Main themes:

• Discover the 7 classic elements that busy leaders often overlook
• How to recognize when things are serious – for yourself or a fellow leader
• The 5 classic elements leaders tend to miss when it comes to loss of meaning
• Learn to listen to even the micro-signals – they may be the cracks in the dam
• How to ensure there is someone around you who can point out when things are going wrong
• Why leadership – especially top leadership – can make it harder to speak up or show weakness
• Is there a “pill” against losing a sense of meaning?
• The latest findings from resilience research
• The 10 resilience-building qualities – and how you, as a leader, can learn to train them

Break the Taboo – or Burn Out

The number of leaders diagnosed with burnout is rising – so make sure you don’t become part of that statistic.

Burnout is difficult to recover from – it is the brain itself that becomes “burned out,” and what is lost does not come back. Yes, one can learn to compensate by using other parts of the brain – as is also the case with stroke recovery – but it will never be the same. That is why you owe it to yourself – and to each other – not to let it happen.
What should you be alert to in yourself, and how can you spot it in your leadership colleagues – before it’s too late?

From the latest research, we now know what ensures optimal work-life quality. To make it easy to understand and apply, I have chosen to divide the concept into four domains:

Physical Work-Life Quality (PWQ): Beyond the basics like adjustable desks, lighting, and minimal noise, the overall atmosphere of physical spaces – color choices and harmony – also contribute to PWQ.

Mental Work-Life Quality (MWQ): Having the ability and competence to solve ongoing tasks, taking effective breaks, and observing growth in insight and professional capacity over time.

Emotional Work-Life Quality (EWQ): Feeling part of the group, and having at least one trusted colleague with whom you can share doubts and concerns – leading to either action or release.

Values-Based Work-Life Quality (VWQ): Believing in the ethics of the organization’s products or services, and experiencing that the organization genuinely engages in doing good for society and the world.

Of course, it is more complex than this – but it’s a simple way to begin the dialogue in organizations. Burnout can affect all four domains separately – and in extreme cases, all at once.

So, if you – or your organization – want to avoid losing meaningfulness (deus desperation), this talk is for you. And I promise, even though the topic is also deeply personal, it will be engaging and fun – because we live by our motto: “It can be fun – even when it’s wise.”

You can either attend one of the open events in Copenhagen or Aarhus – or have your HR department or leader book it for an internal session.

I hope you can say farewell to the HE-man syndrome and learn from my experience – because I promise you – it can also happen to YOU.

This talk can be tailored to your schedule. I offer it in three versions:

Lecture (1 hour) – DKK 25,000

Workshop (2 ½ hours) – DKK 32,000 excl. VAT & travel

Full-day program (6 hours) – DKK 48,000
Includes more slides, short video clips, time for group dialogue, an extensive handout (not for testing later), and three books on the subject.

Call and book your workshop today: 33 11 44 22 – or 40 521 521