The default explanation for burnout blames the person: they didn’t manage their time well, they weren’t resilient enough, they should have set better boundaries. Executive coach Brian Baldari[1] argues that’s backwards — and that for most burned-out employees, the actual failure sits with how the organization is designed, not with the person inside it.
“A leadership design failure”
Baldari’s framing is direct: “Burnout is not a time management problem, nor is it a resilience deficit. It is a leadership design failure.” Two structural patterns show up again and again in his work with executives: responsibility that exceeds a person’s actual authority, and visibility that doesn’t match their real contribution. Put someone in charge of an outcome without giving them the power to control the variables that produce it, and burnout isn’t a risk — it’s close to inevitable.
Energy as a budget, not a personality trait
The practical shift Baldari pushes for is treating energy management with the same rigor most organizations already apply to financial oversight: clarify who actually has decision rights on a given project, formalize feedback channels instead of leaving them ad hoc, and stop rewarding the person who heroically stays until midnight over the person who got the same result during business hours. Culture that celebrates overextension is culture that manufactures its own burnout.
What this means if you’re the one burning out
If the standard advice — sleep more, meditate, set boundaries — hasn’t touched your burnout, it’s worth asking a structural question instead of a personal one: is your responsibility actually matched by real authority over the outcome? If it isn’t, no amount of personal resilience training closes that gap. That’s a conversation to have with whoever designed the role, not a habit to fix on your own.
Sources
[1] Baldari, B. (ResilExec Coaching), as quoted in “Burnout Is a Leadership Failure: Brian Baldari of ResilExec on Building Sustainable Teams Through Psychological Safety and Balance.” 24-7 Press Release Newswire, 2026. 24-7pressrelease.com. Finding used: burnout framed as a structural mismatch between responsibility and authority, not a personal resilience deficit.
Kurt Greiner
Kurt is a digital strategist and IT professional blending emerging technology with practical application to help businesses and individuals streamline their digital presence. His current work focuses on the intersection of intentional living and technological resilience, exploring how individuals can leverage modern tools to navigate the second half of life with purpose.
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