Episode 77 | Burned Out as a Leader? I Didn’t Lose My Leadership in 2025 — I Found It

1
00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:04,040
Welcome to the Lead with Hope
podcast, where leadership goes

2
00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:07,240
beyond titles and into
transformation.

3
00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:11,960
This is a podcast about habits,
optimistic outlook, purpose, and

4
00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:16,120
excellence, and how these
pillars shape resilient leaders,

5
00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:18,880
healthy systems, and meaningful
lives.

6
00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:22,320
I'm Brandy Kelly, and each week
we'll explore stories,

7
00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:26,480
strategies, and insights
designed to help you lead with

8
00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:36,720
hope, even in the hard season.
Before we get started, I want to

9
00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:40,800
thank our legacy partner, Craig
Williams, founder of Commissary,

10
00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:44,160
as Spark Hope.
We believe that story matters

11
00:00:44,480 --> 00:00:48,840
because story shapes how we
lead, how we connect, and how we

12
00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:52,040
show up in the world.
Commissary helps authors and

13
00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:56,080
leaders bring clarity to their
story and confidence to their

14
00:00:56,080 --> 00:01:00,280
voice so their brand truly
reflects who they are.

15
00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:03,600
You can learn more about their
work by visiting the link in

16
00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:07,080
today's show notes or on the
Spark Hope website.

17
00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:10,440
Thank you Commissary for
supporting the Lead with Hope

18
00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:12,840
podcast.
Did you know this?

19
00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:17,240
Nearly 70% of leaders report
feeling burnt out.

20
00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:21,400
Over half of educators and
executive leaders considered

21
00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:23,600
leading their roles in the past
year.

22
00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:27,360
And the number one reason that
they cited is emotional

23
00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:31,520
exhaustion.
On paper, a person's leadership

24
00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:34,440
can look fine.
You can even look successful.

25
00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:39,600
But behind the scenes, many,
many leaders are quietly

26
00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:43,240
unraveling.
As I talk to leaders in my work

27
00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:46,960
as a coach across the country, I
hear this more and more.

28
00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:51,080
If this resonates with you,
friend, you're in the right

29
00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:53,520
place.
Welcome to the Lead with Hope

30
00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:56,600
podcast.
I'm your host Brandy Kelly, and

31
00:01:56,600 --> 00:02:00,720
today's episode is titled I
didn't lose my leadership in

32
00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:04,440
2025.
I found it at the beginning of

33
00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:09,520
20251 year ago.
I was the Superintendent of a

34
00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:13,680
small rural school district.
I was leading complex systems,

35
00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:17,480
making high stakes decisions and
caring responsibility that

36
00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:21,000
stretched far beyond my own life
and my own well-being.

37
00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:24,000
On the outside I looked
successful.

38
00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:28,200
I was capable and confident.
But on the inside, I was

39
00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:30,240
exhausted.
I was stressed.

40
00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:33,200
I was dealing with health
problems that I didn't talk

41
00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:35,880
about.
I was more than tired.

42
00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:39,280
I was deeply depleted.
And maybe you're feeling that

43
00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:44,160
way too, Showing up every day
for everybody else, carrying all

44
00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:48,640
the expectations and holding the
emotional weight of systems,

45
00:02:48,640 --> 00:02:52,880
families and futures.
Before we continue, I want to

46
00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:55,560
take a moment to tell you about
today's sponsor.

47
00:02:56,800 --> 00:03:01,600
The name Commissary comes from
Latin, and at its heart, it's

48
00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:06,080
all about interaction,
socializing, exchanging

49
00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:08,680
thoughts, and engaging ideas
with others.

50
00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:12,240
That's exactly the spirit they
bring to their work with

51
00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:14,960
leaders, authors, and change
makers.

52
00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:19,000
Commissary is for anyone who
knows they have a message to

53
00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:22,560
share but doesn't want to rush
it or water it down.

54
00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:26,240
They help you clarify your
voice, shape your story, and

55
00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:30,720
communicate it in a way that
feels intentional, authentic,

56
00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:33,280
and aligned with who you truly
are.

57
00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:36,320
Whether you're thinking thinking
about writing a book, refining

58
00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:40,000
your message, or building a
brand that reflects your values,

59
00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:45,320
Commissary walks alongside you,
providing strategy, support, and

60
00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:48,760
heart every step of the way.
You can learn more by visiting

61
00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:51,880
the link in the show notes or on
the Spark Hope website.

62
00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,400
A big thank you to Craig
Williams with Commissary for

63
00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:59,920
supporting this podcast and
helping leaders turn their ideas

64
00:03:59,920 --> 00:04:04,480
into meaningful, lasting impact.
Here's the truth that I had to

65
00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:09,280
come face to face with in 2025.
I didn't lose my leadership.

66
00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:14,680
I lost my alignment.
I knew what I valued in life,

67
00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:18,200
but I had lost my alignment with
those values.

68
00:04:18,519 --> 00:04:22,079
I had lost margins.
It was all about work.

69
00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:28,280
I wasn't connecting with first
and foremost God on a regular

70
00:04:28,280 --> 00:04:30,400
basis the way that I knew that I
should.

71
00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:34,200
I wasn't spending the kind of
quality time with my family and

72
00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:37,200
friends so that I could refuel
myself.

73
00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:40,680
And I lost my permission to be
human.

74
00:04:40,840 --> 00:04:44,440
I carried everybody's problems,
and the more problems that I

75
00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:48,440
carried, the more I isolated to
protect myself.

76
00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:52,560
But leadership, that leadership
was never gone.

77
00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:56,320
Because leadership is not a
title, it's not a role, and it's

78
00:04:56,320 --> 00:05:00,240
certainly not performance.
Leadership is who you are when

79
00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:03,400
no one is applauding.
It's how you respond when the

80
00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:08,480
pressure rises, and it's what
you protect when everything

81
00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:14,120
feels urgent. 2025 stripped away
a lot of things for me, but it

82
00:05:14,120 --> 00:05:17,320
also revealed some very powerful
truths.

83
00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:21,160
Here's what it taught me.
First and foremost, leadership

84
00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:24,480
begins with self efficacy.
If you don't believe you matter,

85
00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:27,520
your leadership will always feel
fragile.

86
00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:34,280
Leadership starts on the inside.
Next is that burnout is not a

87
00:05:34,280 --> 00:05:36,400
leadership failure.
It's a signal.

88
00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:42,520
It's like that red flag or the
check engine light on your car.

89
00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:46,880
It's a call to recalibrate, to
realign, and to step into your

90
00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:51,080
greatness.
And then it also taught me the

91
00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:54,720
strong leaders build systems and
build space.

92
00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:59,960
Space to reflect, space to rest,
and space to reconnect with your

93
00:05:59,960 --> 00:06:02,360
purpose.
And here's what I want you to

94
00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:06,280
hear today, friends.
You can be both successful and

95
00:06:06,280 --> 00:06:10,040
struggling at the same time.
And acknowledging that doesn't

96
00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:13,160
disqualify you.
Acknowledging that does not

97
00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:16,040
disqualify you.
It deepens your impact.

98
00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:21,000
This season reinforced why I
believe so deeply in the system

99
00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:23,400
of hope.
Each is for habits that support

100
00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:25,960
your well-being, not just your
productivity.

101
00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:30,240
O is for optimistic outlook
grounded in truth, not toxic

102
00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:33,280
positivity.
P is for purpose, purpose that

103
00:06:33,280 --> 00:06:38,320
goes deeper than performance
metrics, and E is for excellence

104
00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:42,400
that is rooted in integrity.
Hope doesn't mean pretending

105
00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:46,280
that things are easy.
It means that you choose to lead

106
00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:50,560
anyway, with clarity, with
courage, and with compassion,

107
00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:53,800
because that's what people want
from their leaders.

108
00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:58,000
I learned a lot of valuable
lessons in 2025, but here are

109
00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:00,240
three that I want to share with
you today.

110
00:07:00,840 --> 00:07:04,760
Burnout is a message.
It's your body's way of letting

111
00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:08,760
you know you need to slow down,
rest, and refuel yourself.

112
00:07:08,840 --> 00:07:12,800
As I said before, I was leading
a small rural school district

113
00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:17,800
one year ago today, and that
message that my body was giving

114
00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:20,640
me was through not being able to
sleep.

115
00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:23,040
At one point, I wasn't able to
eat.

116
00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:25,080
I was dealing with health
issues.

117
00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:30,200
There was so many health issues.
My body was telling me to slow

118
00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:35,080
down and to take care of myself.
And I want you to listen to your

119
00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:39,840
body because we only have one
chance to get this right.

120
00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:44,480
The second lesson I want to
share with you is that alignment

121
00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:49,520
matters more than achievement.
I have always been a striver.

122
00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:53,120
I would accomplish one goal and
then I would move the goal post.

123
00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:57,080
I wouldn't celebrate that goal
and the goal post would be

124
00:07:57,080 --> 00:07:58,880
moved.
And so I would be striving for

125
00:07:58,880 --> 00:08:02,000
the next thing and the next
thing and the next thing.

126
00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:08,640
But what I've learned in the
season is that if you align your

127
00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:14,160
life and your leadership with
the values and the legacy that

128
00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:18,440
you want to leave, everything
just feels different.

129
00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:21,960
It feels better.
And then third, leaders grow in

130
00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:25,200
community, and community fosters
growth.

131
00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:28,640
Sometimes when you're stressed
and you're burnt out, you're

132
00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:32,159
overwhelmed, you isolate
yourself, you try to protect

133
00:08:32,159 --> 00:08:34,720
yourself.
Maybe there are other factors

134
00:08:34,919 --> 00:08:41,280
that come into play, like
betrayal or criticism, keyboard

135
00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:43,720
warriors, the list can go on and
on.

136
00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:47,560
But it's so important to
surround yourself with a group

137
00:08:47,560 --> 00:08:52,440
of people who will tell you the
truth and also give you grace,

138
00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:57,520
lifting you up, encouraging you,
helping you be the best version

139
00:08:57,760 --> 00:09:02,920
of who God intended you to be.
Let me say this clearly.

140
00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:07,480
If 2025 made you question
yourself, if you felt tired but

141
00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:11,440
still showed up, if you wondered
whether you could keep going,

142
00:09:11,680 --> 00:09:13,440
you didn't lose your leadership
either.

143
00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:17,880
You're in the process of finding
it again, more grounded or

144
00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:22,760
honest and more whole this time.
And sometimes the most powerful

145
00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:25,360
reset isn't stepping away from
leadership.

146
00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:29,720
It's just simply redefining what
leadership means for you.

147
00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:34,200
As we close today, I want you to
reflect on one question.

148
00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:38,120
What did leadership reveal about
you this year?

149
00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:42,600
Not what did it take from you,
but rather what did it reveal

150
00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:47,160
about you this year?
And if this episode resonated

151
00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:50,920
with you, I'd love for you to
subscribe to the podcast, share

152
00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:54,040
this episode with a leader who
needs encouragement, and leave a

153
00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:58,040
review so more leaders can find
this space of hope.

154
00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:01,840
And remember, you're not behind,
you're not broken, and you're

155
00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:06,280
certainly not alone.
If you're a female leader ready

156
00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:09,400
to break this cycle and
transition from burnout to

157
00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:13,960
breakthrough, the Empower, Her
monthly mastermind is your

158
00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:17,160
essential next step.
Our first session is on January

159
00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:21,200
14th and it's completely free.
Click on the link in the show

160
00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:24,200
notes to join.
We have an amazing lineup for

161
00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:28,560
you in 2026 and we're starting
out strong with a session titled

162
00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:32,080
Heart, Home and Hustle, a
faith-based approach to

163
00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:34,680
leadership.
In this mastermind, Bethany

164
00:10:34,680 --> 00:10:38,680
Reese and I are going to share
some powerful takeaways to help

165
00:10:38,680 --> 00:10:42,360
you gain clarity in your vision
and develop resilience and

166
00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:45,760
confidence in your life and in
your leadership.

167
00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:50,200
The world needs your leadership,
and change starts with you.

168
00:10:50,560 --> 00:10:54,120
Fuel your life with hope,
embrace your purpose and shine

169
00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:57,440
your light for others.
Until next time, keep leading

170
00:10:57,440 --> 00:11:02,640
with hope.
If you're a leader feeling

171
00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:06,400
overwhelmed by everything on
your plate, you're not alone and

172
00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:09,720
nothing is wrong with you.
Leadership is demanding,

173
00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:13,600
especially when you care deeply
and you carry responsibility for

174
00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:15,960
others.
And that's why I created the

175
00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:19,800
Hope Fueled Leadership
Kickstart, a short, focused

176
00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:24,360
coaching experience designed to
help you pause, clarify what

177
00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:27,640
matters most.
Make confident decisions and

178
00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:30,600
reconnect with your purpose and
your community.

179
00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:34,840
If that feels like what you need
right now, I invite you to visit

180
00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:39,440
sparkhopeedu.com and book your
free discovery session with me

181
00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:42,400
today.
You'll also find some resources,

182
00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,880
some upcoming events, and
leadership tools to support you

183
00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:48,680
along the way.
Most importantly, I'm grateful

184
00:11:48,680 --> 00:11:52,320
for you, for the courage you
show, the heart you lead with,

185
00:11:52,520 --> 00:11:56,280
and the hope you choose.
Even on the hardest days, know

186
00:11:56,280 --> 00:12:00,120
that I'm cheering for you every
step of the way.

187
00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:02,440
Until next time, keep leading
with hope.