In this episode, we sit down with Angela Hodgson, former Bentley senior leader turned high-performance team strategist, to explore the realities of burnout in leadership and business. We discuss how success at the surface can mask deeper misalignment, and why being out of touch with your authentic self often accelerates exhaustion rather than achievement.

Angela shares her powerful personal story of navigating corporate prestige, personal pressures, and eventual burnout, culminating in her decision to leave the automotive world and redefine what success really means. Through candid conversation, we reflect on what it takes to recognise your own “red zone” before it’s too late, and how to build teams and habits that keep you firmly in the green.

Chapters:

00:00:00 – Intro & welcome

00:01:20 – Angela’s career at Bentley

00:05:45 – Early signs of burnout

00:08:30 – The Barcelona crisis

00:10:50 – When work and life collide

00:14:00 – Wearing the leadership mask

00:16:00 – Hitting burnout & seeking help

00:19:30 – The Red, Amber, Green wellbeing zones

00:22:40 – Supporting leaders & teams

00:24:50 – Leaving Bentley for a new path

00:00:27:10 – Creating the Team Success System

00:30:20 – Spotting burnout in yourself & others

00:31:30 – Free tools & practical resources

00:32:30 – Final thoughts & wrap-up

Key Topics Discussed:

• The personal and professional journey from corporate burnout to entrepreneurial purpose.
• Understanding the “Red, Amber, Green” zones of wellbeing and performance.
• How inauthentic leadership and masking behaviour contribute to burnout.
• The importance of recognising misalignment between personal values and workplace culture.
• Building resilience and self-awareness through counselling, reflection, and structure.
• Angela’s Team Success System and Power Framework; tools to help leaders create healthy, high-performing teams.
• The role of mental health awareness in leadership, especially for business owners and C-suite executives.

Who This Episode Is For:

This episode is designed for business owners, senior leaders, and ambitious professionals who find themselves questioning the cost of their success. Whether you lead a growing SME, sit on an executive team, or support others through organisational change, this conversation offers both empathy and practical insight. It’s especially relevant for those who may feel “stuck in the red zone”, outwardly thriving, but inwardly running on empty.

Quotes to Remember:

“From a burnout perspective, the more you lean away from your core self, the more you’re going to burn out.”

“We all have a red zone, amber zone, and green zone, but my green might be your red.”

“I realised I’d built a version of myself for everyone else, it took burnout to meet the real me.”

Actionable Takeaways:

1. Map your zones: Define what your red, amber, and green zones look like, personally and professionally.
2. Check for alignment: Regularly reflect on whether your current role or habits align with your authentic values.
3. Normalise the conversation: Talk openly about mental health and resilience in leadership circles.
4. Set structural stability: Use clear routines and support systems to create predictability and calm, especially for neurodiverse teams or families.
5. Build a high-performance framework: Explore Angela’s Team Success System to identify and close performance gaps through purpose, organisation, work habits, engagement, and results.

🎓 SME Growth Podcast Homework: Further Reading & Resources

Check out Angela's free resource to help you understand what may be going wrong within your team and practical tips to put success into place.

👉 https://igniteimprovement.co.uk/quiz

🎧 Listen on YouTube & Apple Music here:

https://anchor.fm/wellmeadow

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