Reclaiming the Fire: How Successful People Overcome Burnout

Why do so many seemingly successful professionals hit the wall in middle age, and decide to either radically scale back their careers or set off in an entirely new direction? Clinical psychologist Steven Berglas, a specialist in success-induced burnout, believes it stems from the "self-handicapping behavior" that baby boomers are exhibiting in record numbers as they climb the corporate ladder and find they aren't happy with what results. Terming the phenomena Supernova Burnout, Berglas defines this workplace ennui as "the constrictive effects of being branded a 'success'" and offers some advice for the psychological distress that is an increasing consequence. In Reclaiming the Fire, he advances his arguments in a serious but accessible manner with references to cultural touch points like Mark Monsky's Looking Out for #1 and help from philosophers such as Friedrich Nietzsche. He analyzes "performance-inhibiting" behaviors ranging from substance abuse to abrupt career changes that he says developed from societal attitudes of the last half century, and suggests a few individual and organizational responses (including his 60 Minutes cure, which relies upon passion and intrinsic motivation to battle career malaise). While not everyone will agree with his assessments and prescribed cures, businesspeople who fit Berglas's description--and human resource managers who deal them--will likely find the material intriguing and potentially helpful. --Howard Rothman