5 Reasons Why Leadership Renewal Is Essential (But Most Leaders Resist It)

Leadership renewal isn’t about stepping away from work — it’s about stepping back into leadership with a sharper mind, steadier presence, and updated strategic capacity. The most effective executives continuously evolve themselves to meet the demands of their environment. And there is now substantial research showing why renewal is not just beneficial, but essential.

Below are five evidence-backed reasons renewal matters — and the human, psychological barriers that cause many leaders to delay it.

1. The pace of disruption has outgrown most leaders’ internal capacity.

A recent McKinsey study found that 45% of executive tasks are being reshaped by AI and automation, while organizational complexity has nearly doubled in the past decade. The pressure on leaders to make faster, more cross-functional decisions is at an all-time high. Harvard researchers describe this as “cognitive overload acceleration,” where the volume and velocity of information outpace the brain’s ability to integrate it effectively.

Leadership renewal provides the mental space and updated frameworks required to keep up. Without intentional recalibration, leaders revert to outdated decision-making models that no longer fit the moment.

Why leaders resist:

Reflection can feel threatening because it exposes gaps in capability, clarity, or confidence. Many leaders fear slowing down long enough to realize something in their leadership isn’t working. And in high-pressure environments, acknowledging the need for renewal can feel like admitting weakness — even though the opposite is true. So they push ahead, hoping their old playbook will magically apply to a new landscape.

2. Your energy sets the emotional tone for your team.

Neuroscience research from UCLA and Google’s Project Aristotle shows that psychological safety — the foundation of high-performing teams — is deeply influenced by a leader’s emotional state. When leaders are centered, teams operate in a “high-agency” mindset. When leaders are tense or fatigued, teams unconsciously shift into threat mode, limiting creativity, risk-taking, and strategic thinking.

Renewal resets the leader’s nervous system, allowing others to anchor to stability rather than stress. A renewed leader signals: “We’re okay. We can handle this.”

Why leaders resist:

Many leaders internalize the belief that their value lies in their endurance: the ability to power through, stay late, and carry more than everyone else. As a result, they ignore emotional cues that would otherwise prompt renewal. They also underestimate how visible their stress is — assuming the team is “fine” when the team is actually mirroring their depletion. It feels easier to keep going than to face the truth that their energy is quietly shaping the culture.

3. Burnout is ambient now, not episodic.

Gallup reports that nearly 70% of leaders experience burnout symptoms weekly, and Deloitte’s Human Capital Trends data shows that burnout today is less about major crises and more about constant micro-stressors: decision fatigue, digital communication overload, and ongoing organizational change.

This slow-drip depletion erodes clarity, patience, and executive presence. Leadership renewal interrupts the cycle and replenishes cognitive and emotional resources so leaders can think strategically instead of reactively.

Why leaders resist:

Because burnout accumulates gradually, leaders often don’t recognize it until their performance slips or relationships fray. Renewal feels optional when exhaustion feels “normal.” Many leaders also fear the consequences of pausing — worrying the business will stall or people will question their commitment. So they push through the early warning signs until the cost is far higher.

4. Strategic thinking requires space, not speed.

MIT Sloan research shows that leaders who spend 20% more time in reflection and strategic thinking outperform peers by nearly 40% in long-term results. The brain's default mode network, the system responsible for insight, creativity, and long-range thinking, only activates when you’re not task-switching.

In other words, innovation and strategic clarity require mental spaciousness. Leadership renewal creates that margin, allowing leaders to see patterns, anticipate disruption, and design proactive moves instead of reacting under pressure.

Why leaders resist:

Strategy time feels indulgent in fast-moving cultures. Leaders have been rewarded for responsiveness and execution, not reflection. Sitting still with their thoughts can feel counterproductive or even uncomfortable. Many leaders also equate constant activity with value, making space feel risky, even when the research is unequivocal: thinking is a high-value leadership activity.

5. Renewal extends your leadership shelf-life.

A study from the Center for Creative Leadership found that leaders who regularly engage in renewal activities - reflection, identity shifts, developmental experiences, and personal energy practices - sustain high performance 7–10 years longer than those who don’t. Renewal helps leaders update their identity, expand their capacity, and stay relevant as their roles evolve.

In times of disruption, the leaders who renew themselves are the ones who maintain credibility, make clearer decisions, and inspire trust under pressure.

Why leaders resist:

Identity shifts are some of the hardest transitions for executives. Letting go of the version of themselves that drove past success can feel destabilizing. Leaders often cling to old strengths even when they no longer serve the demands of the role. Renewal requires humility, vulnerability, and a willingness to evolve — qualities that are powerful but not always comfortable for high-achieving leaders.

Leadership renewal isn’t indulgent. It’s preventative maintenance for long-term effectiveness. The leaders who embrace renewal are the ones who remain strategic, centered, and credible — especially in disruption. The leaders who resist it often find themselves overreacting, underperforming, or stuck in patterns they didn’t mean to create.

Renewal isn’t a break from leadership.

It’s the work of leadership.

Leadership Practice

Choose Your Renewal Focus (and Work With the Resistance)

This week, choose one of the five renewal areas from the article above, the one that hits closest to home. Then take a few minutes to notice any resistance that comes up: the excuses, the discomfort, the “I’ll get to this later,” or the pressure to stay in motion. That resistance isn’t a problem. It’s data. It’s showing you precisely where your next level of leadership capacity is asking to grow.

Once you’ve named the resistance, move into action by planning your renewal time over the upcoming holiday break. Block the space now, even a few hours. to reflect, reset, and return to your leadership with greater clarity and strength. Treat this like a strategic commitment, not a seasonal luxury.

Author

Athena Williams, Founder and CEO of Tenacious Leadership Institute, has been supporting leaders worldwide to become more tenacious for over 20 years. She has found that tenacity is the key to sustained leadership success in today’s ever-changing world. Through her coaching and leadership development programs, she helps leaders expertly handle change, complexity and other challenges so they can quickly get better results for themselves, their teams and their organizations.

Take the first step to becoming a tenacious leader by scheduling a call with us.