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As a leader in Dubai or Riyadh's bustling business scene, you're steering a successful company through the challenges of modern commerce. The skyline outside your office window reflects ambition and progress. Yet, as you sit there, you feel drained. The passion that once fueled your leadership has faded.

Compassion fatigue. It sounds like something out of a wellness retreat brochure, doesn’t it? But make no mistake: it’s as real as your inbox full of unread emails, and it’s coming for leaders everywhere. Especially for those of us who make it our mission to care. The more empathy you give, the more you’re at risk of running on empty. I have been very interested in compassion in leadership, and ultimately compassion fatigue, for as long as I can remember, so today I would like to unpack what compassion fatigue really means for leaders today—and how we can keep the empathy engine running without running ourselves into the ground.

Compassion Fatigue: The Cost of Caring

Compassion fatigue is the emotional residue that builds up after consistently absorbing the struggles, fears, and stresses of those around you. It’s what happens when a leader’s emotional well runs dry from caring a little too much, a little too often. Unlike burnout, which can be caused by general work stress, compassion fatigue is specifically tied to the weight of empathy—when you give so much of yourself that there’s not enough left to keep going.

And, let's face it, in leadership today, the expectation is often to be a cross between a therapist, a coach, and a decision-maker. The problem is, leaders are human too. We can't always carry everyone’s burdens without eventually feeling like we've been flattened by the emotional steamroller of the entire team.

The context of the Middle East adds a unique layer to this, with cultural expectations that emphasize close, personal relationships and a work-life balance that often blurs professional and personal boundaries. Relationships here aren't transactional; they're the currency of business. In places like Dubai and Riyadh, where the warmth of personal relationships intermingles with professional life, the expectation of constant empathy becomes even more demanding. Leaders are expected to be pillars—stoic, supportive, and available. But even the strongest pillars can crack under too much weight.

Studies have shown that many executives in the UAE and KSA experience symptoms of compassion fatigue, with a significant number reporting emotional exhaustion as a frequent challenge, walking around with our emotional tanks on empty, trying to lead our teams to greatness.

A Day in the Life: The Subtle Signs

You’re in a meeting and you find yourself nodding along, but you’re not really listening. Your mind’s somewhere else—perhaps on that team member who had an emotional breakdown last week, or maybe on the looming quarterly targets that have everyone on edge. You think: why am I so tired? You chalk it up to “just one of those days.” But those days are happening more and more often, aren’t they?

Compassion fatigue in leadership shows up quietly, unlike burnout, which makes you feel like you're clearly falling apart. Instead, it creeps in like the slow depletion of a battery. It’s the fatigue that comes from always having to be empathetic, from making space for everyone else’s struggles without allowing yourself to feel your own. Your empathy muscle—once strong—has started to give out, and decision-making becomes harder, cynicism starts to settle in, and you feel less present with your team.

A CEO friend of mine in the real-estate development industry in Riyadh realized he was struggling with compassion fatigue when he caught himself dreading one-on-one meetings—something he used to enjoy as an opportunity to connect and mentor. "I used to look forward to those meetings," he told me. "They were my chance to connect, to mentor. But suddenly, they felt like a burden."

Why Compassion Fatigue Happens

Leadership, especially in culturally rich environments like the Middle East, is about more than targets and performance. It’s about people. But the very thing that makes leadership meaningful—being there for people—can also be what drains you. Constant exposure to others' challenges, coupled with the expectation that you'll always be the emotionally available leader, creates a perfect storm for compassion fatigue.

The Middle Eastern work culture is full of contrasts—fast-paced growth alongside deep-rooted traditions. The startup culture in Dubai, for example, brings with it high-stakes pressure. Everyone wants to be “the next big thing,” and leaders are often playing multiple roles: visionary, mentor, crisis manager. It’s easy to end up absorbing not just the business pressures but also the personal struggles of your team. When someone shares their emotional challenges, a good leader listens—until it all becomes too much.

And let’s be honest, there's a distinct expectation here for leaders to “be strong.” You're not just leading a project; you're leading a tribe, a family. You feel obligated to be the rock, which leaves little room for your own emotional upkeep.

A while ago, I established 'open door' and 'closed door' hours. During 'open door' hours, I am fully available to my team, but during 'closed door' hours, I focus on tasks that require less emotional involvement, allowing myself time to recharge.

The Ripple Effect: Compassion Fatigue and Its Impact

It doesn’t just stop with you. When leaders suffer from compassion fatigue, the effects cascade down. Your emotional exhaustion translates to less energy for your team. Creativity dries up because you’re too tired to think beyond immediate problems. Productivity plummets—not because your team isn’t working hard, but because your capacity to inspire and lead by example has dwindled.

Imagine this: your team is working on a high-stakes project, but they’re sensing your emotional distance. They feel it in the uninspired meetings, in the lack of enthusiasm for their ideas. Slowly but surely, they start mirroring that detachment. Even the most talented teams need an engaged leader to reach their full potential. Without that, they’re just a group of individuals trying to meet a deadline.

In the company I founded a few years ago, I implemented what we called "Emotional Check-ins" at the start of every team meeting. Each team member rated their emotional state on a scale of 1-10, and had the option to briefly explain why. It wasn't about solving everyone's problems—it was about acknowledging that we were all human, and that our emotional states affected our work. As the founder, I participated in these check-ins too. It was remarkable to see how this simple practice transformed our team dynamics. Not only did it help us understand each other better, but it also created a space for empathy and support.

Winston Churchill famously referred to his bouts of depression as his 'black dog.' Unlike Churchill, who could retreat to his painting room when it became too much, we often need to face our teams every day, regardless of our own struggles.

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Empathy is a finite resource.

The Coping Toolkit: Strategies for Leaders

So, what can you do? How do you protect yourself from this emotional drainage while still being the compassionate leader your team needs? It starts by recognizing that empathy is, in fact, a finite resource. No one can give endlessly without a plan for replenishment. Here are some ideas:

1- Practice Self-Awareness

You can't fix what you can't see. Self-awareness is about recognizing the signs before they become overwhelming. Emotional exhaustion doesn’t announce itself with a bang—it slips in unnoticed. Notice how you feel after particularly intense meetings. If you’re feeling wiped out more often than usual, that’s a sign to take a step back.

2- Set Boundaries (And Actually Stick to Them)

Boundaries. Not exactly a word we like to use in the workplace, but it’s critical. This is especially true in a culture where the line between professional and personal life can be thin. If you’re constantly answering emails at 11 p.m. because your team sees you as “always available,” you’re setting yourself up for trouble. No, you don’t have to go off the grid. But deciding on a cut-off time for responding to work-related communications is a start.

3- Delegate and Empower

Let’s be real—delegating isn’t just about reducing your workload; it’s about empowering your team to take ownership. By letting go of the need to have all the answers, you allow others to step up and grow. This not only lightens your load but also fosters a culture of resilience and problem-solving within the team. It’s a win-win, and it gives you some breathing space.

During their merger with another bank, a marketing director in the banking industry in Jeddah told me how delegation saved him from burnout: "I used to think I had to be involved in every decision, every crisis. But when I started delegating more, something amazing happened. Not only did I feel less overwhelmed, but my team stepped up in ways I never expected. They were capable of so much more than I'd given them credit for."

4- Seek Peer Support

It’s lonely at the top. We’ve all heard that. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Sharing experiences with fellow leaders—those who understand the pressures of leadership—can be cathartic. Whether it's informal meet-ups or structured forums, the chance to talk about challenges with those who’ve been there can be an emotional lifeline.

5- Mindful Moments: Finding the Pause

I’m not going to tell you to meditate for an hour each morning before dawn. Let's face it—that’s not realistic for most leaders. But taking five minutes before a stressful meeting, to close your eyes and breathe deeply, can help center you. These micro-breaks are essential; they’re moments of emotional reset that allow you to re-engage with empathy instead of running on empty.

Another effective approach is using an 'empathy budget.' Just as you budget your company's finances, you should budget your empathy—set aside dedicated time for meaningful interactions, and equally important, schedule time for emotional recovery.

Caring for Yourself to Care for Others

Leaders like to think of themselves as tough, but empathy without self-care is a path to an emotional cul-de-sac. The truth is, you can't pour from an empty cup. And let's be real, even the strongest leaders need a recharge. Self-care isn’t a selfish act—it’s leadership in its most sustainable form. After all, if you're running on fumes, what message does that send to your team?

People often think of self-care as something fluffy, but it's actually strategic. You’re preserving your ability to lead effectively, to make tough decisions without the added burden of emotional depletion. It’s about being present—truly present—for your team, rather than faking your way through yet another meeting.

Would you rather be the leader who burns bright for a short while and then fizzles out, or the one who stays in it for the long haul, continually providing light and guidance? Compassion fatigue isn’t a badge of honor—it’s a signal to recalibrate, to make sure that you’re still moving forward, for yourself and for the people who look up to you.

In the words of the great Gibran Khalil Gibran, "Work is love made visible." Let’s make sure that love—for our work, our teams, and ourselves—remains visible, even in the face of compassion fatigue.

Being a leader is hard work. Not because of the strategy meetings or the bottom-line decisions, but because it involves caring for people—and people are complex. Compassion fatigue is an occupational hazard for those with good hearts. It’s what happens when you care deeply and consistently. But just like an athlete doesn’t train non-stop without rest, leaders must learn to take emotional breaks.

Give yourself permission to step back. Set boundaries, take breaks, and prioritize your well-being. It's not just about being strong for your team—it's about ensuring that you’re able to continue being the leader they need, both now and in the future.

Being a leader doesn’t mean you never need help or rest; it means you’re smart enough to recognize when you do. And that, ultimately, is how you’ll continue to lead—not just by example, but by a healthy one.