In this conversation, Carlo and Michelle delve into the critical topics of mental health, burnout, and the importance of supportive leadership. Michelle shares her personal journey through burnout, highlighting the signs, symptoms, and the cumulative nature of stress that can lead to burnout. They discuss the differences between stress and burnout, the impact of personal life on work performance, and the role of leaders in recognising and supporting their teams. The conversation emphasises the importance of open dialogue about mental health, the need for self-care, and the potential for growth and resilience after experiencing burnout.

Takeaways

• Burnout is a cumulative process, not just a result of stress.
• High achievers are often at greater risk for burnout.
• Workplace culture plays a significant role in mental health.
• Leaders should foster open communication about mental health.
• Recognising the signs of burnout is crucial for intervention.
• Personal life challenges can significantly impact work performance.
• Supportive leadership can help mitigate burnout risks.
• Taking time off for mental health is essential and should be normalised.
• There is a path to recovery and growth after burnout.
• Self-awareness and boundary management are key to preventing burnout.

If this episode brings up difficult feelings, support is available.

Australia - Lifeline – 13 11 14 - Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636

New Zealand - 1737 – Call or text 1737 - Lifeline NZ – 0800 543 354

United States - 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Call or text 988

United Kingdom - Samaritans – 116 123

Singapore - SOS Singapore – 1767

Japan - LifeLine Phone Counselling - 03-5774-0992, 03-4550-1146 (Tokyo)

If you are in immediate danger, please contact your local emergency services.

I’ve crossed paths with Rhody Hill a few times over the years, first during the VMware V-Champions days and again in various roles across the tech ecosystem. Every time, I walk away a little wiser. She has built partner ecosystems in big tech, led teams across the Asia Pacific and Japan, and now shares honest leadership lessons through her Substack, Nuggets of Gold.

It was these Nuggets of Gold that lead me to us recording this podcast. It was titled “Beware the shadow you cast”, and this line jumped out at me:

That sentence landed hard. It made me reflect on how much influence leaders have without realising it and how your tone, stress, energy, or offhand comment can shape the whole team’s culture. So I reached out and asked her to unpack it with me.

Rhody shares the story of coming back from a long holiday to feedback she didn’t expect: her team had become too reliant on her. While trying to help, she’d actually disempowered them. It changed how she leads forever. She even built a question bank to remind herself not to jump straight into solution mode.

This hit me hard because I’ve been there; having the answer doesn’t mean you should always give it, especially if you want to grow your team’s confidence and independence.

• Your shadow grows with you – The more senior your role, the more your tone, energy, and offhand comments shape the culture.
• Transparency vs venting – Being open is good. Oversharing to make yourself feel better is not. Learn the difference.
• Leadership gets lonely – Whether it’s being promoted above your peers or leading global teams, Rhody opens up about the very real isolation that can creep in.
• Psychological safety is earned – It's not about being soft. It’s about building the kind of trust where people can challenge, question, and speak up.
• Don’t hire people like you – Rhody talks about checking her conscious biases and why diversity of thought beats team of clones.
• Sunday Reflections – One of her habits is a quiet Sunday morning review: what did I do last week, what matters next week, and am I still showing up in a way that’s relevant?

• Leaders learning to balance transparency with steadiness
• People stepping into more senior roles and feeling the shift
• Anyone who's ever felt the weight of being the one others look to
• Teams navigating how to speak up when things feel off

APJ – Asia Pacific and Japan - A common regional designation used in global tech companies. Includes markets such as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia, and others.

OKR – Objectives and Key Results - A goal-setting framework used by teams and individuals to align efforts and measure outcomes. Commonly used in tech companies to track quarterly or annual goals.

SKO – Sales Kick-Off - A team-wide or company-wide event at the beginning of a sales period (often annually) to align strategy, motivate the team, and launch new initiatives.

GM – General Manager - A senior leadership role responsible for the performance of a business unit, geography, or function.

KPI – Key Performance Indicator - A measurable value that indicates how effectively an individual, team, or organisation is achieving its goals.

Working to Your Strengths with Ross Rotherham

CliftonStrengths felt like “just another quiz” until it didn’t. In this episode, Datadog sales engineering leader and coach Ross Rotherham helps unpack what CliftonStrengths actually is, how to turn raw talent into mature strengths, why energisers matter, and how to spot your blind spots before they trip you up. We also dig into the clean line between mentor and coach, and a tiny switch that makes feedback land better: ask for advice about next time.

I also share the lovely feedback from Episode 1, say thanks to everyone who messaged, and commit to bringing you more real mistakes. Big shout-out to guests who are willing to be vulnerable, it is not easy and we appreciate it.

• CliftonStrengths in plain English, and why it focuses on what’s right with you

• Raw vs mature strengths, and aiming talent at outcomes

• Energisers, the conditions your strengths need to thrive

• Blind spots, how your superpower can land badly at volume eleven

• Mentor vs coach, use the right tool at the right time

• Advice, not feedback, a small wording change that unlocks better input

• Practical listening habits leaders can model