By: Paula Davis-Laack

As a leader, are you driving burnout or engagement in your organization? How would your employees rate you if asked that same question? Burnout is a work-related process of chronic stress and disengagement caused by too many job demands, too few job resources, and not enough recovery or time to re-charge your batteries. Burnout impacts numerous industries and has been shown to predict absenteeism, increased sick leave, and turnover intention.

Sufficient job resources, whether in the form of an inspiring manager, getting regular feedback, or simply knowing that your leader has your back, can help prevent burnout. According to a new study, we now know that the opposite is also true. Bad leaders aren’t just toxic to an organization – they drive burnout and decrease job satisfaction.

As part of a regular survey process Mayo Clinic uses to foster a cohesive organization, 2,813 physicians and scientists provided a detailed evaluation of the leadership qualities of their direct supervisor. The respondents were asked to numerically rate the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with the following statements about their immediate supervisor, and these 10 statements predicted subsequent levels of burnout and engagement:

• Holds career development conversations with me
• Inspires me to do my best

• Empowers me to do my job
• Is interested in my opinion
• Encourages employees to suggest ideas for improvement
• Treats me with respect and dignity

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