The Cost of Always Being “On”: Why Leaders Must Disconnect to Elevate Wellsiliency™
Wellsiliency™ [ wel-zil-yuhns,-see] noun
The ability of individuals and teams to prepare for, recover from, adapt to, and rebound from stress with improved self-leadership, resilience, wellbeing to effectively connect in interdependence.
Meet Alex Ari: The Modern Leader on the Edge
Alex Ari is a self-motivated driven leader. Whether in a corporate C-suite, running a small business, or leading a nonprofit or a team, Alex is the person everyone depends on. The one with the strategic vision, the solutions, and the relentless drive to keep things moving forward.
Yet, beneath the surface, Alex is exhausted.
The long hours, the never-ending decisions, and the weight of responsibility have taken their toll. Sleep is restless, relationships feel strained, and even the work—once deeply fulfilling—now feels like an unrelenting grind.
The irony? Alex has built a career around supporting others, driving performance, and fostering resilience in teams. But when it comes to self-leadership, Alex is running on fumes.
And Alex is not alone.
The Leadership Burnout Epidemic: The Research
The struggle Alex Ari faces isn’t personal failure—it’s systemic. Research reveals that:
Burnout among leaders is at an all-time high: A 2023 Deloitte study found that 70% of executives are seriously considering quitting for a job that better supports their well-being.
Stress compromises decision-making: Chronic stress reduces cognitive flexibility, making leaders less innovative and more reactive (Harvard Business Review, 2022).
Leaders’ well-being affects entire organizations: When leaders are depleted, teams mirror that energy, leading to disengagement, lower productivity, and increased turnover (Gallup, 2023).
The cost of burnout is staggering: Workplace stress costs U.S. businesses an estimated $300 billion annually in lost productivity, absenteeism, and healthcare costs (American Psychological Association, 2023).
Yet, many leaders hesitate to step away—fearful that pausing means falling behind.
What Happens When Leaders Don’t Reset?
Alex, like many leaders, keeps pushing through. Until the signs become impossible to ignore:
🚩 Decision fatigue—Making even small choices feels overwhelming.
🚩 Emotional exhaustion—Once-passionate work now feels mechanical.
🚩 Physical symptoms—Headaches, digestive issues, and chronic pain signal stress overload.
🚩 Strained relationships—Friends and family feel like obligations, not sources of joy. Teammates are draining.
🚩 Loss of clarity—The vision and drive that once fueled success have faded into autopilot.
This isn’t just about stress—it’s a slow erosion of well-being that, if unaddressed, leads to burnout, diminished leadership effectiveness, and even long-term health consequences like cardiovascular disease, weakened immune function, and mental health struggles.
So, what’s the alternative?
The Case for Recalibrating Leadership: Two Transformative Solutions
Wellsiliency’s WWW Women’s’ Leadership Retreat 2024. Hiking in the Algarve, Portugal.
Leadership is not just about strategy and execution—it’s about being human. And at the core of being human is the need for connection—to self, to others, and to purpose.
Yet, in the pursuit of success, leaders often sacrifice the very things that sustain them: well-being, clarity, and authentic relationships, and the connection to self.
These programs offer what’s crucial and needed for sustainable leadership:
✅ A recalibrated sense of self and purpose
✅ A holistic, strengths-based approach to performance
✅ The tools to lead with resilience and wisdom
✅ The space to reconnect—with self, team, and mission
For leaders ready to invest in personal renewal and transformation, option one, the Elevate Wellsiliency™ Wisdom & Wholeness (WWW) Retreat offers a profound individual reset.
Option two is for leaders who recognize that team well-being is interdependent to personal well-being and are ready to make it a strategic initiative. The BE Well - LEAD Better™ Wellsiliency Program delivers a customized experience to align and elevate collective resilience and performance.
Option 1: The Elevate Wellsiliency™ Women’s Leadership Retreat 2025.
For leaders ready to invest in themselves. Join us in Portugal.
This is the Leadership & Life Recalibration women need.
This retreat is designed for leaders who need to step away to return stronger—realigned, renewed, and recharged with clarity and focus.
It’s for the woman leader who is ‘pushing’ through - running on empty, questioning herself, juggling too much, and feeling disconnected from what really matters.
It’s for the woman who is exhausted, stretched thin, and craving something more —more energy, more confidence, more balance, more fulfillment – more connections.
It’s for the woman pushing through while living and leading in the depletion zone.
When depletion becomes your norm, your leadership suffers. Your confidence wavers. Decision-making feels clouded by doubt and overthinking. Relationships—both personal and professional—strain under the weight of constant urgency.
Your ability to inspire, connect, and lead effectively diminishes when you're running on empty.
Your health and wellbeing are the costs for not resetting from depletion states.
This retreat is where you’ll begin the shift. - It’s the RESET opportunity.
It’s where you’ll disconnect from the noise and pressure, to reconnect with yourself and focus on what you truly need.
✔️ Guided somatic practices to release stress and tension
✔️ Reflective leadership exercises to rediscover authenticity and reconnect with strengths.
✔️ Immersive nature experiences to stimulate Whole-self Intelligence™
✔️ Deep peer connection with women on a similar journey
✔️ Scientifically backed resilience-building techniques for sustainable well-being
Testimonial from 2024 Portugal WWW Leadership Retreat in Portugal.
Outcome: Leaders leave with more than just rest—they return recalibrated, with enhanced clarity, renewed energy, and a deeper capacity to lead with presence and impact.
Option 2: The BE Well LEAD Better™ Program
For leaders who want to elevate their teams with a holistic, strengths-based approach supported by improved wellbeing, resilience, and self-leadership.
Leadership isn’t just an individual journey—it’s a team effort. This customized program is for organizations that recognize the direct link between team well-being and performance.
Use our framework to design a personalized blueprint to BE Well. LEAD Better™
Through a tailored experience, leaders and teams work together to:
✓ Biohacking Wellbeing
✓ Re-Aligning Values & Strengths
✓ Reducing Stress & Rebooting Resilience
✓ Boosting Energy and Mental Clarity
✓ Renewing Confidence by Resetting Mind-Set and Strengths
✓ Improve emotional and Whole-self Intelligence™ for better decision-making
✓. Foster authentic human connections—the key to engagement and retention
✓. Enhance strengths-based collaboration for deeper collaboration and interdependence
✓. Develop resilience skills to thrive in uncertainty and complexity
Outcome: Teams emerge stronger, more aligned, and equipped with the tools to lead and perform with resilience, clarity, and supported by improved well-being at the core.
Bottom line: Leadership Excellence Starts with Well-Being
Both experiences—whether personal or team-focused—deliver what’s essential for sustainable leadership:
✨ Rebalancing the leader within to lead others and collaborate more effectively
✨ Reigniting purpose, strengths, and strategic clarity
✨ Reconnecting to what matters most—self, team, and mission
Because the best leaders aren’t just high performers—they are whole leaders. And the best teams don’t just function—they flourish.
What’s Your Future Worth?
The best leaders know that longevity isn’t about pushing harder—it’s about leading smarter.
So, the question isn’t - Can I afford to take a break?
The real question is - Can I afford NOT to?
➡️ If you’re ready for a personal transformation, explore the Wellsiliency™ Retreat Programs.
➡️ If your team needs a recalibration, the BE Well LEAD Better™ or The Lead Well - Deploy Strengths™.
Wellsiliency Programs are designed to be crucial to sustainable success.