Jim Young - Defeating Burnout

Today's guest is Jim Young . My guest is my friend Jim Young, also known as The Centered Coach. Jim had a long career in tech, rising in his company until he was the president. And then, he experienced a serious burnout, that led him to a serious recalibration of his life and priorities. Now he is an executive coach, speaker and facilitator who specializes in Burnout and DEI work. His book, Expansive Intimacy: How "Tough Guys" Defeat Burnout, helps men create a roadmap for more fulfilling lives.

We had a very frank and candid conversation about his experience, and then what people and companies can do to prevent burnout and what to do when they experience it. And given that right now there is a big debate about so called “quiet quitting”, we also took a little bit of time to discuss our perspective on it.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[02:50] – Jim shares his story with us.

[04:36] – I ask Jim to share what challenges help develop his leadership style.

[06:35] – Jim recounts examples when he didn’t need to be the strongest voice in the room.

[08:22] – Giving up control when in a new leadership role starts with trust.

[09:42] – The key strategy for Jim was fostering a real sense of teamwork.

[11:45] – Jim gives an account of a setback in his career that helped him grow.

[13:04] – Jim voices some steps he took to pause and reset.

[14:42] – We talk about Jim's definition of success and how it has changed over time.

[16:04] – Jim talks about the drives him to succeed externally and internally.

[18:05] – The primary question Jim would ask is, what do I want?

[19:14] – I ask Jim how he defines authenticity.

[20:27] – Jim mentions the classic symptoms of burnout.

[22:49] – Asking uncomfortable questions is a way to assess the people around you.

[25:04] – People sometimes need to see a perspective reflected in them.

[25:34] – I ask Jim what some of the first places to seek help are.

[27:05] – Burnout is often happening because of the tone that’s being set by leadership.

[29:29] - Workload is one of the six factors that drive people into burnout.

[31:00] - Until you know your values, you might not know what decision to make.

[34:03] – I shift the conversation to the TikTok term, “quiet quitting."

[36:57] – We talk about the boundaries and expectations of the worker and the organization.

[40:38] – Leverage is a dangerous word that makes us more adversarial than a unit.

[42:51] - Thriving requires that all of us are doing well, not one or the other.

[43:09] – Jim tells us about his fun hobby.

[44:45] – I ask Jim which business express drives him crazy.

[45:30] - Food for the body or food for the soul.

[46:50] – Thank you and closing remarks.

Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.com

Websites:

al4ep.com

thecenteredcoach.com

Additional Jim Young Links:

Read a chapter and preorder the book at: thecenteredcoach.com/book

Contact at: thecenteredcoach.com/contact

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thecenteredcoach

Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo

Dino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo

Podcast Instagram – @al4edp

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Music

Susan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com