Burnout creeps up gradually, often making it difficult to define, detect, or even admit – especially for high performers.
In security, where pros are trained and expected to stay calm under pressure, solve problems quickly, and maintain control during an incident, admitting to burnout can feel like admitting to failure—something many in this field are deeply conditioned to avoid.
But just because it’s disguised, doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
The study – words from the field
In my research on executive coaching and burnout in cybersecurity, participants described their environment as “relentless,” “isolating,” and even “soul-crushing.” Many operate in environments where success is invisible, but failure is catastrophic.
Why Burnout in Security Looks Different
According to leading researchers in the field of burnout research, Christina Maslach and Michael Leiter (2022), burnout is defined and measured by three critical factors: exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy.
In the security profession, burnout isn’t just the physical exhaustion that comes from working long hours—it’s emotional depletion and cognitive overload. It is also the result of multiple intersecting factors that influence the ability to stay resilient under pressure. Without adaptive and coping strategies, stress accumulates unchecked – eroding resilience and emotional regulation, and quite possibly and most importantly, clear thinking in times of crises. What makes burnout in security look different may have some answers from some of the study findings.
Emotional Intelligence Scores Tell a Story of Impact—and Common Struggle
As part of my study’s methodology, all participants were given an emotional intelligence psychometric assessment using the EQ-i 2.0©. I compared two groups: 1) those who had received coaching, and 2) those who had never received coaching.
There were major differences between the two groups in terms of overall EQ levels. The coached group scored significantly higher in EQ. But across BOTH groups there were some important and telling patterns: Both groups scored highest in social responsibility and lowest in optimism.
When Passion Meets Pressure: The Hidden Risk Behind Strong Dedication
Deep dedication to the profession, in general, fulfils a core value for people in the security profession – giving them purpose, demonstrating capabilities, and connecting them to a sense of meaningful impact – but it doesn’t make them unbreakable. In fact, the study findings showed that without a supportive organizational culture, appreciative leadership, and collaborative peers, even the most resilient individuals showed signs of burnout. Moreover, because of their strong dedication to their roles, many found it difficult to ‘get distance’ from their job – boundary-setting is challenging.
What Leaders Must Know About Burnout in Cybersecurity Teams
Burnout in cybersecurity is more complex than just stress—it’s the result of several intertwined (and some obvious) factors:
- Chronic stress from constantly defending against unpredictable threats
- Moral injury when leaders ask teams to cut corners or downplay risks
- Isolation due to limited psychological safety and poor communication
- High social responsibility, where professionals tie their personal identity to protecting the business
- Lack of access to support for psychological, emotional, and cognitive health.
This isn’t about telling teams to “toughen up” or “do more yoga”. It’s about understanding and addressing the real human cost of a critical, often invisible job performed under significant pressure. Smart leaders will recognize these challenges and build supportive environments that promote and sustain resilience and performance – not make a case against it.
What Needs to Change
Believing that burnout is the price of doing business in security is a failure of leadership disguised as pragmatism. It isn’t strategy, it’s neglect, and a dangerous illusion.
Organizational leaders need to consider this workforce and its unique challenges, and operate in accordance with these challenges by:
- Investing in resilience-building interventions (like coaching or other support frameworks)
- Reducing stigma around seeking help – without judgement or retaliation
- Rethinking the definition of “performance” in high-risk roles
Missed Part 1? Here’s the link to From Burnout to Breakthrough: How Executive Coaching Can Help Reshape The Burnout Problem in Cybersecurity Workforces
References
Maslach, C., & Leiter, M.P. (2022). The burnout challenge: managing people’s relationships with their jobs. Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674287297.