From Burnout to Breakthroughs (and a Boat Ride or Two)
- Meri Stockwell
- Oct 7
- 5 min read
People Powered Performance - Bi-Weekly Newsletter
Edition 30:
What do a Cavapoo, a convent, burnout recovery, and leadership tools that actually work have in common?
All of them show up in this edition of People Powered Performance.
In the last two weeks, I hit the road with CC the Cavapoo for a cross-border road trip that turned into a reset. We discovered grace in detours, clarity in rest, and a surprising number of firsts (yes, elevator rides and nun hugs included). But it wasn’t just a vacation story — it sparked deeper lessons about performance, leadership, and what really sustains success.
In this edition, you’ll find:
A bold new initiative for women leaders facing burnout
A four-legged lesson in Positive Intelligence
Real talk on burnout, resilience, and the tools that build high-performance teams
A behind-the-scenes look at PI Perform Essentials — the system that turns people data into daily results
And I’ll share open client opportunities we’re recruiting for now!
So settle in. Let’s get into the real, human, and data-driven side of leadership.
From Burnout to Clarity, Confidence, and Competitiveness
“As one executive client recently told me, 'I can’t afford to lose my edge, but I feel like burnout is clouding everything I do.'”
Burnout isn’t just exhaustion. For women leaders over 45, it can silently chip away at the three pillars that sustain performance: clarity, confidence, and competitiveness.
Clarity fades when decision-making feels foggy and scattered.
Confidence erodes as second-guessing and self-doubt creep in.
Competitiveness wanes when energy dips, motivation stalls, and visibility suffers.
The result? Even the most accomplished leaders may feel as though they’re running uphill in sand.
Why It Matters
Research consistently shows that women leaders face higher risks of burnout due to the dual pressures of work and personal responsibilities. Deloitte’s 2024 Women @ Work report found that half of women report feeling burned out, and many say it directly affects their career opportunities and advancement.
When burnout goes unaddressed, organizations don’t just lose productivity — they risk losing experienced leaders whose perspective and contributions are critical to long-term success.
Reset & Rise™: A Program Co-Created by Women Leaders
This is why Hermence Matsotsa and I co-created Reset & Rise™, a pilot program designed specifically for women leaders over 45.
With decades of global leadership experience, both of us know firsthand what it means to balance high-stakes decision-making, personal resilience, and career visibility. We’ve lived it. And we’ve seen how the right reset can reignite energy, sharpen focus, and restore competitiveness.
Reset & Rise™ combines evidence-based tools — from Positive Intelligence® coaching to Predictive Index® strategies — with our lived experience to help women move from burnout to empowered leadership.
Coming Soon: The Burnout Impact Self-Assessment
We’re putting the finishing touches on a brand-new tool — the Burnout Impact Self-Assessment — that will help you measure where burnout may be undermining your clarity, confidence, and competitiveness. This assessment will give women leaders a practical way to see where they stand and start making changes before burnout takes hold.
Stay tuned — it’s launching soon.
What You Can Do Now
If this article resonates, don’t wait. Burnout rarely gets better on its own.
Hermence Matsotsa and I are opening conversations now with women leaders who are ready to reclaim their clarity, rebuild confidence, and sharpen competitiveness.
Closing Thought
Burnout doesn’t define you — but how you respond to it can redefine your leadership. With the right reset, you can rise stronger.
What a Road Trip (and a Cavapoo) Taught Me About Grace
We made it. From Florida to Michigan to Canada, CC the Cavapoo — Meritas' Chief Cultural Officer — experienced a trip full of firsts:
🐾 Her first hotel stay (and convent stay!)
🐾 Her first elevator ride
🐾 Her first boat ride
🐾 Her first time running free — no leash, no fence, just pure joy
🐾 Her first tram ride
🐾 Meeting new family, new pups, and even a few Sisters of St. Joseph (who absolutely adored her)
🐾 And walking all the way to the southernmost tip of Canada
She took it all in with calm, curiosity, and grace.
And then... I got sick.
Some things didn’t go as planned.I missed the cider mill. I didn’t get to see the fall colors shift — we were too early.I missed friends I meant to see because I caught a virus (courtesy of my sister—thanks, sis 💛). And you know what? That part became the lesson.
What CC Taught Me (and What Positive Intelligence Reinforces)
I watched CC adjust to each new experience — calmly, with joy, without expectation. She didn’t dwell on what we didn’t do. She made the most of what we could.
That’s the core of Positive Intelligence — recognizing the saboteur voices (the ones that say “you’re missing out,” or “you failed to do it all”) and shifting into Sage mode:
Explore
Empathize
Navigaate
Innovate
Activate
CC modeled that wisdom the whole way. And I realized: you don’t need the perfect itinerary to have a meaningful journey.
If you’re a leader, founder, or human who’s had to shift plans lately — maybe this is your sign that it’s okay. Let your Sage take the wheel for a while.
Grace > Grind. Every time.
Now Recruting: Open Client Roles
Chemical Buyer, TN (On-Site) - Manufacturing
Capital Procurement Category Manager, SC (On-Site) - Manufacturing - dm me for details
Material Scheduler, PA (On-Site) - Manufacturing
Supply Chain Project Manager, IN (On-Site) - Manufacturing
Other positions that we are recruiting for can be found here MAG Job Portal - you can apply right online!
The Tools That Get Sh*t Done
Let’s be honest.
Most management tools are just dressed-up project trackers. But what if you had a system that actually empowered managers to lead, not just manage?
At Meritas, we use PI Perform Essentials — a behavioral science-powered system that helps organizations:
✅ Deliver on people strategy
✅ Build culture through action
✅ Drive ROI with actual results
Here’s What It Does, Not Just What It Says
1. One Place for Real Work
Centralized feedback
Behavioral insight baked into 1:1s
Collaborative workspaces that streamline—not overwhelm
2. Built for Behavior, Not Busyness
Real-time guidance on how to manage your actual people
Tools that turn personality data into day-to-day clarity
Recognition and accountability made simple
3. Coaching + Data = Results
We train your managers how to use this
They get confident. Their teams get engaged. You get your time back.
This Isn’t a Push. It’s a Pull.
If your organization is trying to:
Retain high-performers
Reduce drama and miscommunication
Align teams to actual goals Then PI Perform Essentials delivers.
Because performance isn’t about more meetings. It’s about better conversations.
Let’s talk if you’re ready for that. → Book a strategy session
Let’s Get Real: People Strategy Isn’t a Buzzword
It’s your edge.
Because when you have the right people in the right roles, led by managers with the right tools? Teams click. Results stick. And culture doesn’t just survive—it scales.
At Meritas Advisory Group, we work with growing businesses to:
Build leadership pipelines with real ROI
Transform managers into confident communicators
Align people strategy to actual business results
If that’s the kind of clarity you’re ready for? → Let’s talk
Thanks for reading, sharing, and being part of People Powered Performance. We’re glad you’re here.
See you (and CC) on the road,
– Meri Founder, Meritas Advisory Group Business & Talent Strategist Solving people.
Creating teams that click. Driving results that stick.
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