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  • May 17, 2023
  • Article
  • Harvard Business Review (website)

Don't Let Passion Lead to Burnout on Your Team

By: Joy Bredehorst, Kai Krautter, Jirs Meuris and Jon M. Jachimowicz
  • Format:Electronic
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Abstract

Passion is often heralded as the key to a fulfilling and successful career, but the authors’ recent research suggests that it can also come at a cost: Feeling passionate about work can lead to exhaustion and even burnout. Through studies with more than 700 employees across a wide range of industries, the authors found that people reported feeling less burned out on days when they felt more passionate about their work—but on the day following a particularly passionate day, employees actually felt more burned out than usual. This is because on days when employees experienced higher levels of passion, they also felt more energized, leading them to exert themselves more and thus be more exhausted the next day. To address this vicious cycle, the authors argue that employees should be proactive about managing their passion and make sure to build in time for rest and recovery. At the same time, rather than encouraging unsustainable passion and pushing people to burn themselves out, managers should help their teams navigate the challenges that can come with feeling passionate about work by managing workloads, monitoring emotional exhaustion, and building systems that foster work-life balance.

Keywords

Burnout; Emotions; Work-Life Balance; Employees

Citation

Bredehorst, Joy, Kai Krautter, Jirs Meuris, and Jon M. Jachimowicz. "Don't Let Passion Lead to Burnout on Your Team." Harvard Business Review (website) (May 17, 2023).
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About The Author

Jon M. Jachimowicz

Organizational Behavior
→More Publications

More from the Authors

    • August 2023
    • Faculty Research

    Toby Norman: Is Passion Enough for Simprints to Thrive?

    By: Jon M. Jachimowicz, Amram Migdal and Max Hancock
    • June 14, 2023
    • Harvard Business Review (website)

    Research: Your Love for Work May Alienate Your Colleagues

    By: Mijeong Kwon, Julia Lee Cunningham and Jon M. Jachimowicz
    • January 2023
    • Faculty Research

    Kwame Owusu-Kesse at the Harlem Children's Zone 'Navigating Careers'

    By: Jon M. Jachimowicz
More from the Authors
  • Toby Norman: Is Passion Enough for Simprints to Thrive? By: Jon M. Jachimowicz, Amram Migdal and Max Hancock
  • Research: Your Love for Work May Alienate Your Colleagues By: Mijeong Kwon, Julia Lee Cunningham and Jon M. Jachimowicz
  • Kwame Owusu-Kesse at the Harlem Children's Zone 'Navigating Careers' By: Jon M. Jachimowicz
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