On Authenticity, Exhaustion, and Finding a Spark

ABSTRACT

With the COVID-19 pandemic as a backdrop, this personal essay examines the author’s relationship with authentic leadership and professional optimism. The author accounts their experience with burnout brought on by the ongoing pandemic and discusses activities and colleagues that have contributed to cultivating a renewed sense of purpose and hope. The author reflects on the implications of burnout and exhaustion for academic library managers leading teams through times of chaos and instability, and reflects on potential solutions for how those challenges can be mitigated. © 2022 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.