Letty Cottin Pogrebin writes that “apathy is the self-defense of the powerless.” One aspect of effective leadership is being all in on the mission, vision, and values of the work. At times, however, leaders find themselves feeling apathetic or indifferent about the goals ahead of them. Many times it’s through no fault of their own, but rather a manifestation of their surroundings and environment that has created feelings of apathy. Leaders who find themselves feeling apathetic must evaluate the why around their indifference:
- Burnout: Being overworked, under-slept, and stressed leads to burnout in our work. When leaders experience burnout, they often have feelings of apathy. The long-term goals don’t seem to matter, it’s a challenge to find meaning in the work, and a constant state of exhaustion looms.
- Challenging Situations: When leaders continually face challenging situations, they become accustomed to things rarely working out in a positive way. The continuous failure of their hard work makes them believe positive outcomes might never happen, so they become indifferent to the work and the outcomes.
- Unsupportive Environment: Apathy in leadership manifests itself through an unsupportive or individualistic work environment. Rarely hearing any positive affirmations or receiving any support from others leads to feeling deflated and apathetic. Every leader needs some positive reinforcement to keep them motivated and feeling worthy.
Apathy in our work, lives, and leadership is common among highly-successful people at certain points in life. Feelings of apathy arise from burnout, challenging situations, and unsupportive environments. It’s critical for leaders to find ways to gather positive feedback about their contribution to work. Highly-effective leaders often focus on the small, positive wins they have each day in order to continually progress.
How do you overcome feelings of apathy in challenging leadership positions?