Execution Energy: Moving Beyond Burnout to Sustainable Pace
Consistency beats intensity… every time.
Being in the executive space you, like me, have probably watched a team start a project with incredible energy — whiteboards full of ideas, communication channels buzzing, late nights and high fives — only to hit a wall a few months in?
The beginning is easy, but execution isn’t just about getting started. It’s about staying with it. That’s where the real challenge begins. And the truth is: burnout kills execution.
It doesn’t matter how brilliant your plan is — if your people are running on fumes, nothing moves forward well.
In coaching, especially with high-performing teams, we’re often trying to do something subtle but powerful:
Shift from a sprinting culture to a sustainable rhythm.
Here are some important elements on how to do this:
1. Pace the Push: Not Everything Is Urgent
Many teams get stuck in default urgent mode — where every task must happen now and every deadline is tight.
This urgency addiction can be thrilling... but overtime, it erodes trust, motivation, and wellbeing.
As a coach, I often invite leaders to pause and ask:
- Is this genuinely urgent, or just emotionally loud?
- What’s our energy plan — not just our project plan?
- Are we building recovery into our execution cycles?
Pacing isn’t about doing less. It’s about doing it differently — with intention and breath.
2. Recovery is Strategy, Not Luxury
Burnout doesn’t just happen from working too much. It comes from working without renewal.
Top athletes build recovery into their training cycles. Why don’t top teams?
In long execution phases, we need short-term and long-term recovery:
- Short-term: Clear boundaries, “no-meeting” zones, walking 1:1s, quiet Fridays
- Long-term: Celebration points, proper downtime post-delivery, off-sites
3. Celebrate Progress, Not Just Endings
Teams often wait to celebrate until the end of a major delivery — or don't celebrate at all.
But long execution cycles need moments of meaning along the way. When progress goes unnoticed, energy dwindles.
When progress is seen, energy renews.
As a leader :
- Build in check-ins that highlight what’s working
- Recognize emotional effort, not just technical delivery
- Reflect on learnings, not just results
People don’t just need more motivation, they need more meaning in the momentum.
4. Expect Energy Dips
Not every phase of execution is going to feel inspired. And that’s okay.
Coaching helps teams understand the natural rhythm of long projects:
- The high of starting
- The drag of the messy middle
- The push of the final stretch
- The exhale of closing
When teams expect to feel “on” all the time, they panic when energy dips. When they understand that dips are part of the process, they stay more grounded — and less reactive.
5. Model It at the Top
Teams look to leaders for permission: If the leader never stops, no one else feels they can.
As a leader, model what the team needs to see:
- Saying no
- Logging off
- Celebrating others
- Owning their limits
Energy is contagious and so is exhaustion.
A Final Thought: Sustainability Is a Skill
An emotionally intelligent one.
It moves away from reaction and towards intention. Execution is not just about goals — it’s about how we pursue them. Some teams see burnout as a badge of honour. It’s not, it’s a breakdown.
What’s more important is learning how to:
- Hold pace
- Honour energy
- Reflect regularly
- Move forward meaningfully
Because the best teams aren’t the ones who go the fastest. They’re the ones who keep going to the end.
