Why High-Performing Women CEOs Burn Out (And How to Catch It Early)

Welcome CEO! Happy Wednesday to you!

We’ve officially reached the midpoint — the place where the week tells on itself. And if your week has already tried to run you over… pull up a chair.

Here’s the truth no one likes to say out loud:

Most high-performing women CEOs don’t burn out because they’re incapable. They burn out because they’re brilliant, responsible, over-capable — and operating in silence.

You’re carrying more than the average CEO ever sees. You’re solving problems no one else knows exist. You’re leading from the front with a smile… while quietly wondering if peace is still part of the package.

If you’ve ever felt like your success is costing you your sanity, your sleep, or your sparkle… Take a breath. You’re not alone, and you’re definitely not failing.

A few years ago, I coached a clinic owner who appeared to be “thriving.”

Her revenue was strong. Her community adored her. Her team respected her. And from the outside, she looked like the model of excellence.

But privately, her story was very different.

She was working 50+ hours a week and still catching up on weekends. Her staff depended on her for every decision — big or small. And although her practice was profitable, her personal pay was shrinking.

When she finally opened up, she said something I’ll never forget:

“I feel like I built a business that takes more from me than it gives to me.”

That’s the moment I realized something powerful:

Burnout doesn’t show up as collapse. It shows up as slow leaks — in time, energy, and profit — that you don’t notice until you’re completely drained.

Many women CEOs are living this right now. And most don’t realize it until they run the numbers.

Let me give you one simple tool to help you see what’s really happening behind the scenes.

I call it The Early Warning Metric:

The 50/20 Rule for CEO Health

Two numbers that reveal whether you’re leading… or slowly burning out:

1. 50 Hours If you consistently work more than 50 hours per week, you’re not operating as a strategic CEO — you’re functioning as the busiest employee in your company.

2. 20% CEO Time At least 20% of your weekly hours should be spent in CEO-level work:

• vision

• strategy

• hiring/leadership

• performance review

• growth planning

If your entire week is filled with operational tasks, team babysitting, and putting out fires,” your business is running you — not the other way around.

And listen — women don’t burn out because they lack capacity. We burn out because we operate without a dashboard. Numbers don’t judge you. They just tell the truth you’ve been too busy to see.

So if your 50/20 check is out of alignment, consider this your gentle-but-firm nudge toward realignment.

Your power is in the data — not in doing more.

If this issue gave you clarity, you’re ready for the next step.

Before burnout shows itself in your health, your money, or your peace, you need to see what’s actually leaking inside your business.

Start here: Take The Burnout Audit

A quick diagnostic that reveals the 7 metrics that predict whether you're headed toward exhaustion — or alignment.

It’s direct, eye-opening, and exactly what every woman CEO should measure.

You deserve a business that supports you as much as you support it. Let’s make sure your numbers tell the truth — before burnout does.

Your Wednesday Reset

Before you step back into the momentum of your day, let’s take a moment to reset — not as the overextended operator the world expects you to be, but as the CEO you’re becoming.

This is Your Wednesday Reset — a small ritual with a powerful ripple.

Close your eyes. Place your right hand gently over your heart. Settle your shoulders. Let your mind catch up to your breath.

Now inhale deeply… Exhale slowly…

And say:

“I have the power to change my life.”

Inhale again… Exhale with intention…

Repeat:

“I have the power to change my life.”

One more time — inhale deeply… Exhale fully…

Say it once more:

“I have the power to change my life.”

Feel that soft shift in your chest? That’s your clarity turning back on. Your boundaries re-aligning. Your identity grounding itself in truth.

You were not created to live in exhaustion or carry a business that drains more than it delivers. You deserve a business that honors your brilliance — one that gives you Significance, Impact, and Profit, without costing you your peace.

Carry this reset with you today. Let it guide your energy, your decisions, and your pace. Go forward and lead like the woman who knows she owns her brilliance — not the one trying to earn it.

You’ve got this. And I’m right here cheering for you.

— Dr. Lauretta I have the power to change my life.