E87 | The Leadership Skills That Prevent Burnout with Mark Butler
Sun Feb 01 2026
Mark Butler is an expert working at the intersection of psychology and performance. Mark helps leaders and teams perform under pressure while reducing the mental-health risks that quietly undermine results. He’s known for turning complex psychological insights into practical tools leaders can use immediately. His work sits at the forefront of burnout prevention, psychosocial hazard compliance, and sustainable high performance for mid-market, owner-led companies.
Mark explains how burnout, performance, and mental health are deeply interconnected, and why leaders often miss the early warning signs in themselves and others. He discusses how creating psychological safety, addressing organisational causes of stress, and focusing on wellbeing as a driver of performance can help leaders build resilient, high-performing teams.
Takeaways
Burnout is usually an organisational problem, not a personal weakness or failure. Leaders often notice burnout in others long before recognising it in themselves. Emotions drive behaviour, performance, and decision-making more than logic alone. Psychological safety allows teams to speak up before issues become serious. Wellbeing is a stronger predictor of performance than engagement scores. Middle managers play a critical role in identifying psychosocial risks early. Compliance with psychosocial laws can directly improve culture and performance. Adding meaningful play and connection can be more powerful than taking work away. Follow Mark Butler https://www.markbutler.au/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-butler/ mark@markbutler.au
Author’s book UP YOURS!: The Pursuit of Radical Self-care by Mark Butler https://amzn.to/3Xd59rH
Books recommended Lead from the Heart by Mark C Crowley https://amzn.to/4rhG6kO The Power of Employee Well-Being: Move beyond Engagement to Build Flourishing Teams by Mark C Crowley https://amzn.to/48zmotq
Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners
Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/
Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/ Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)
Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth
Enjoying the show? Leave a review
Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Mark Butler is an expert working at the intersection of psychology and performance. Mark helps leaders and teams perform under pressure while reducing the mental-health risks that quietly undermine results. He’s known for turning complex psychological insights into practical tools leaders can use immediately. His work sits at the forefront of burnout prevention, psychosocial hazard compliance, and sustainable high performance for mid-market, owner-led companies. Mark explains how burnout, performance, and mental health are deeply interconnected, and why leaders often miss the early warning signs in themselves and others. He discusses how creating psychological safety, addressing organisational causes of stress, and focusing on wellbeing as a driver of performance can help leaders build resilient, high-performing teams. Takeaways Burnout is usually an organisational problem, not a personal weakness or failure. Leaders often notice burnout in others long before recognising it in themselves. Emotions drive behaviour, performance, and decision-making more than logic alone. Psychological safety allows teams to speak up before issues become serious. Wellbeing is a stronger predictor of performance than engagement scores. Middle managers play a critical role in identifying psychosocial risks early. Compliance with psychosocial laws can directly improve culture and performance. Adding meaningful play and connection can be more powerful than taking work away. Follow Mark Butler https://www.markbutler.au/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-butler/ mark@markbutler.au Author’s book UP YOURS!: The Pursuit of Radical Self-care by Mark Butler https://amzn.to/3Xd59rH Books recommended Lead from the Heart by Mark C Crowley https://amzn.to/4rhG6kO The Power of Employee Well-Being: Move beyond Engagement to Build Flourishing Teams by Mark C Crowley https://amzn.to/48zmotq Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/ Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/ Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life) Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth Enjoying the show? Leave a review Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.