Running Into the Petri Dish of Burnout: A How Not-To Guide

Running Into the Petri Dish of Burnout: A How Not-To Guide by Laurie McGinley is a guide for leaders in climate and other values-based sectors to avoid burnout by understanding its causes and how it manifests differently in individuals. The book emphasizes that those driven by love and a desire to do good are susceptible to a unique type of burnout. It argues that qualities that enable people to lead the world into a brighter future can also lead them into burnout. The book is for leaders, defined as C-suite employees, founders, directors, and those in supporting roles within climate-oriented initiatives. It introduces four personality types susceptible to burnout: Perfectionists, Heroes, researchers, and Motivators. These types are identified by what slows them down: Perfectionists feel overwhelmed by tasks, Heroes resist scaling down, Researchers feel misunderstood, and Motivators are impatient. These types overlap with Enneagram personality types. The book uses three approaches to discuss burnout: * Sharing the author's experiences that lead to burnout. * Illustrating how people the author worked with were susceptible to burnout because of their strengths. * Offering lessons, recommendations, and exercises to help avoid or escape burnout. The book introduces the concept of 'running balls out, ' which is operating as fast as possible within perceived limits of success, leading to burnout. It also introduces the opposite of burnout: transformation. The book emphasizes the importance of understanding one's "Awesome," the skill used to repair and transform the world, as a diagnostic tool and vulnerability to burnout. It stresses that leadership by heart is the only sustainable form of leadership and requires humility, trust, and vulnerability. The book also offers practical advice and exercises, like Balloon Breath, Body Alarm, and Lover Words, to promote mindfulness and help individuals recognize and respond to their body's signals.