Leaders Who Last: Redefining Burnout & Reclaiming Joy in 2025 - With special guest Themba Dayton
Burnout in 2025? It’s not just about being tired—it’s existential. In this Leaders Who Last kickoff episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Themba Dayton, senior advisor at HUB International and co-producer of DisruptHR Seattle, about what burnout actually looks like these days and how we can build leadership capacity through more than just bubble baths and PTO requests.
Spoiler: the term burnout might not even cut it anymore.
The Messy Reality of Burnout Right Now
Forget the old-school burnout symptoms. In 2025, burnout feels more like:
“I don’t know how to keep going when the world feels like it’s falling apart... but it feels irresponsible to stop.”
Sound familiar? Yeah. Same.
Themba and I dug deep into what this new burnout landscape looks like—and why disengagement, lack of autonomy, and poor belonging at work are fueling the fire. It’s not just exhaustion—it’s disconnection. And it’s happening across every level of the org chart.
From Chaos to Clarity: How Leaders Are Responding
We talked about how some of the most effective companies right now aren’t just offering yoga stipends—they’re being honest with employees. They’re saying:
“Here’s where we’re trying to go.”
“We don’t have it all figured out, but we want to hear from you.”
“You belong here, as a whole person.”
When organizations communicate their intentions clearly—and leaders stay curious about the real needs of their people—something magical happens: employees start showing up as humans, not just job descriptions.
Themba’s Mic-Drop Moment
He told the story of realizing his actions weren’t lining up with his values when a family health crisis forced him to reckon with his choices. That moment? It helped him start showing up differently. More authentically. More human. Which, let’s be honest, is the actual leadership superpower in 2025.
Actionable Burnout Strategies (That Aren’t Just “Take a Walk”)
Let’s get real: burnout doesn’t need a spa day. It needs strategy. Here’s what we explored:
Hobbies are healing. Even the violent video games. (Ask me about trash-talking in the lobby.)
Movement brings presence. Themba’s hit the gym hard this year—not to crush records, but to get back in his body and out of the doomscroll.
Honesty builds alignment. You can’t live your values if you don’t make time to notice when you’re not.
Micro-moments matter. If you can’t feel good, feel 10% better. That small shift creates momentum.
Joy Is the Strategy
At Latitude, we say joy isn’t a reward—it’s a leadership strategy. Themba’s take? Joy isn’t always one big thing. Sometimes it’s scattered in small moments: a funny coworker, a sweaty gym session with your spouse, or learning how to ref basketball with your teenage son.
When you diversify your joy portfolio, you build resilience. You stop relying on one thing to bring you peace. And when the world throws a curveball (which, let’s be honest, it will), you’re better prepared to catch it.
Want to join us in building a burnout-proof world?
Connect with Themba and learn how he can save your HR team money, time, and energy.
Download our free Burnout Starter Kit at burnoutstarterkit.com—and maybe even invite your team to do it with you.
Check out Disrupt HR Seattle if you're in the PNW and ready to be... well, disrupted.
And join us next time on Leaders Who Last, when we talk with Tjuana Yvonne, president of the Black HR Society, about burnout at the intersection of equity and leadership.
Thanks, Themba, for kicking off this series with truth, humor, and so much heart.