Shepherd, Neil and Lou, Bowen (2025) The Burnt-Out Boss : The Development and Test of a Model of CEO Burnout. In: 85th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, 2025-07-25 - 2025-07-29.
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
Senior executives face heightened burnout risk, reflecting a burgeoning global mental health crisis. Despite this, society expects senior leaders to remain impervious to work-related stressors. However, untreated burnout in executives perpetuates stigma, limits support, and exacerbates the mental health crisis, impacting organizations and society. However, when executives experience and promote well-being, they are better positioned to support their employees. This paper therefore aims to change the conversation, addressing CEO burnout and promoting sustainable work practices that prioritize well-being over relentless productivity. We explore CEO burnout, integrating upper echelons (UE) theory with the broader psychology literature. While discussions about workplace stress and employee well-being have intensified, CEO burnout has been almost entirely overlooked. However, many CEOs succumb to burnout due to the relentless expectations and pressures they face on a daily basis. We therefore develop and test an integrative theoretical model, analyzing triadic survey data from 160 CEOs, their spouses, and CFOs. Our study investigates the influence of both dispositional (e.g., personality and affective traits) and situational factors (e.g., family, firm, and industry settings) on CEO burnout. Our findings aim to deepen understanding of the multilevel origins of CEO burnout and provide insights for developing supportive strategies.