Cotswold Leadership Academy founder Melanie Cheeseman is teaming up with Breakout HR founder Nicki Burge to present Burn Bright: Don't Burn Out, a masterclass offering practical advice for recognising the early signs of burnout, building resilience and creating a workplace culture where wellbeing isn't just encouraged – it's essential.
Ahead of the masterclass on Wednesday 21 May 2025, Melanie shares her personal experiences with burnout, debunks the misconceptions that surround it and discusses why so many small business owners and female leaders are especially vulnerable.
How would you describe burnout and what are some of the common misconceptions surrounding it?
Myself and Nicki believe burnout is often misunderstood and can be confused with short periods of overwhelm. We’ve all experienced stress, whether from working on a project, moving house, going through a divorce, or experiencing a bereavement.
However, once the stressor is removed, the feelings
of stress tend to decline. Burnout, on the other hand, occurs when chronic
stress goes unmanaged over a long period of time. It leads to a habitual
burnout cycle where, eventually, you fall off the cliff. It’s more than just
stress – it’s a cumulative effect of prolonged, unaddressed pressure.
For many people in business, burnout can often creep in unnoticed until it hits hard. In your own experience, were there warning signs you missed or overlooked – or signs that you've identified in those around you?
With at least 47 per cent of small business owners reporting poor mental health within the last year, these warning signs are widespread but frequently ignored.
In my case, I either didn’t recognise the warning signs or dismissed clear signs that things weren’t right, which eventually ended in a serious accident. The signs can be hard to spot – emotional detachment, withdrawing from social engagements, irritability, anxiety and physical symptoms like weight changes, headaches or skin issues.
These symptoms can
easily be dismissed or ignored until they reach a point where you can no longer
function. It’s important to be mindful of how we're feeling and look for these
signs in ourselves and those around us.
There's still a stigma around admitting we're overwhelmed, especially at the top. How can leaders begin to normalise conversations about burnout without feeling like they're showing weakness?
We know that burnout can affect anyone, whether in leadership or not — and by leadership, we mean anyone running their own business or working in an organisation with leadership responsibilities.
To normalise conversations, leaders must show vulnerability and encourage openness. By regularly checking in with their teams and being open about their own struggles, leaders set the tone for others to follow.
It’s crucial to create a psychologically safe culture, which can be achieved by reducing unnecessary workloads, setting clear communication boundaries – such as no out-of-hours contact – equipping managers to spot signs of burnout, encouraging full use of annual leave and recognising results.
When we stop rewarding
presenteeism, we take the pressure off and remove the unhealthy competition surrounding stress and workload.
As women in business, do you think female business leaders face a different kind of pressure that can lead to burnout – and if so, how and why do you think that is?
It’s not just what we think — research shows that women face a different level of pressure and from our own experiences, we can certainly relate.
While burnout can affect anyone, the intersection of leadership expectations and gendered norms creates specific stressors for women. 69 per cent of women experience workplace burnout compared to 56 per cent of men, driven by the 'double shift' of career demands and societal expectations.
Women in leadership are often held to higher or contradictory standards – we’re expected to be assertive but not aggressive, warm but not weak and confident but not arrogant. This balancing act is mentally exhausting and can lead to constant self-doubt.
Being one of the few, or the only, women at the top can be isolating. The pressure to 'represent' or prove women’s capabilities can be heavy, leading to overperformance and perfectionism as a coping strategy.
When
male leaders burn out, it’s often seen as a sign that something is wrong with
the system. When women burn out, it’s more likely to be internalised as
personal failure – by both the individual and those around them – reinforcing
silence, guilt and a lack of support.
What can people expect from the 'Burn Bright: Don't Burn Out Masterclass' on Wednesday 21 May 2025? What motivated you to work with Nicki Burge at Breakout HR for this event?
Our Burn Bright: Don’t Burn Out Masterclass is for anyone with business or people responsibilities – whether you're leading a team, running your own business, supporting others through HR or development roles or simply someone who wants to better understand burnout and build healthier ways of working.
During the session, attendees will learn science-backed coping strategies and techniques to manage stress and prevent burnout, including methods from positive psychology and neuroscience. They'll leave with a personalised action plan for ensuring their personal wellbeing is prioritised, alongside tools to build resilience, support healthy productivity and foster healthier work cultures. We also hope that guests will make great connections with like-minded people who share similar experiences.
What motivated us to work together is our shared belief in creating thriving work cultures. We met through the Opendoorz networking group and instantly recognised how aligned we were in our views on leadership and wellbeing.
With Nicki’s HR consultancy experience working with owners and directors and my background in leadership performance coaching – which uses tools and strategies from positive psychology to optimise wellbeing beyond just physical, mental and emotional – we knew we could create a powerful masterclass to help people who, like us, have experienced burnout.
Final thoughts: If someone's reading this and quietly struggling, what would you say to them – not just as a business leader but as someone who truly understands what that pressure can feel like?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, exhausted or like you're just holding everything together – please know you're not alone.
So many of us have been there, quietly battling behind the scenes, thinking we have to be the strong one, the one who holds it all together. But you don’t have to carry it all by yourself.
Reaching out might feel daunting but it’s an act of strength, not weakness. Whether it’s a trusted friend, a colleague, a loved one or a professional – just speaking the words out loud can ease the weight you’re carrying.
Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is simply acknowledge how we’re feeling. That one small step can open the door to real support and healing. And if you don’t know where to start, start with us — or talk to us. We get it.
For more information and to book a place on the Burn Bright: Don't Burn Out masterclass taking place on Wednesday 21 May 2025 at The Fleece in Cirencester, visit tickettailor.com/events/thecotswoldleadershipacademy, and for more information on Breakout HR, visit breakouthr.co.uk.
