Burnout by Design: When Leadership Becomes the Problem
In hospitality, passion drives performance.
But even passion has its limits, especially when it’s met with a leadership style that silences voices, dismisses ideas, and forgets that respect is a two-way street.
Burnout doesn’t always come from long shifts or demanding guests. More often, it comes from above.
From the chef who never listens.
The manager who talks at you, not with you. The team leader who leads with fear instead of trust.When staff are consistently excluded from decisions that affect them, when feedback is ignored, and when they’re treated as expendable rather than essential, something breaks. Motivation slips.
Morale drops.
People stop pushing for excellence because no one seems to care if they do.And then the real damage begins.You lose your best people. Not to competitors, not to better pay,but to burnout.
To exhaustion that stems from never being heard. To frustration that builds every time they’re told “just do your job” instead of “let’s talk.”
To disappointment that leadership never once looked back to see who was falling behind.In hospitality, we’re taught to serve. But we must also serve each other.
Leadership isn’t about hierarchy—it’s about connection.
It’s about creating a space where everyone, from steward to sous chef, feels seen and respected. Because when you lose good people, you don’t just lose staff. You lose the heart of your operation.
