From Burnout to Breakthrough

Susie was drowning. As the project lead for a major adult education initiative, she’d been battling mounting pressures for three years. Managing both external and internal stakeholders whilst trying to deliver on ambitious project goals had become an impossible juggling act.

When a recruiter approached her about a new role, Susie saw it as a lifeline—even though deep down, she knew it wasn’t aligned with her core strengths. She was so desperate to escape her current situation that she was willing to take a dangerous leap into the unknown.

The warning signs were everywhere. Susie felt constantly overwhelmed, under stress, felt pulled in multiple directions, and unable to make meaningful progress on her project objectives.

“I’m burnt out, exhausted,” she confided. “I spend all my time putting out bushfires instead of achieving the project goals.”

The role felt too big for one person, and she was right—it was. But the problem wasn’t the scope of the work itself.

When Susie applied for the recruiter’s role, she was unsuccessful. Her skills simply didn’t match what was required. Although initially disappointed, she acknowledged it wasn’t a good fit. But this rejection left her feeling even more trapped and frustrated.

Initially, Susie approached Future U Coaching for job search support, expecting to learn how to escape her current role. However, through our discussions, it became clear that the issue wasn’t the role itself—it was how she was performing in it.

During our coaching sessions, a powerful revelation emerged: Susie had a tendency to rescue every situation or attempt to solve every problem her team encountered. This insight hit her like a thunderbolt.

“She reacted like she’d been slapped in the face,” recalls her coach. “This revelation changed everything.”

Suddenly, Susie could see that she was the architect of her own burnout and frustration. Her need to control and rescue was preventing her team from taking ownership and making decisions independently.

The coaching program pivoted from job search to leadership development, focusing on helping Susie recognise and transform her leadership approach.

Three months later, Susie has dramatically transformed her leadership style. She abandoned her rescuing approach and implemented a framework that gave her team the freedom to make decisions.

The changes were practical and immediate:

• She blocked out calendar time for focused work on her own priorities
• She designated specific times for team consultations
• Most importantly, she required her team to bring potential solutions alongside problems

The results speak for themselves. Susie’s organisation recognised her improved leadership capabilities and offered her a secondment to a higher leadership role. She now feels in control, less frustrated, and her team operates smoothly—all because she recognised and addressed her leadership challenges through coaching.

Rob is great career coach. He helped me think about my career in a completely different way, seeing possibilities rather than hurdles. Rob showed great care, was supportive but also was firm enough to push me to consider the opportunities in front of me. His career coaching had a positive impact on my outlook and I would recommend him to anyone seeking career acceleration.