S04E01 - From Burnout to Breakthrough with Brad Gaynor

About this episode

Brendan Lee and Brad Gaynor discuss burnout in education and practical strategies for sustainable teaching and leadership.

In this episode of the Knowledge for Teachers podcast, Brendan Lee is joined by Brad Gaynor, an Australian educator, leadership coach and former principal with decades of experience across schools and systems. Brad is also the author of the new book From Burnout to Breakthrough: The Leadership Reset. The conversation centres on burnout in education and what sustainable teaching and leadership actually look like beyond surface level wellbeing advice. Drawing on Brad’s lived experience and research informed work, this episode explores why burnout is more than just feeling tired, how hidden emotional labour shapes the work of teachers and leaders, and why framing burnout as a resilience issue can miss the real problem. Listeners will hear a practical framework for resetting habits and expectations, learn why boundaries are essential rather than optional, and gain insight into how clarity, systems, and culture can reduce cognitive and emotional load. This is a thoughtful and practical conversation for educators who want to keep doing this work well, without burning themselves out in the process. You can connect with Brad: Twitter/X: @brad_coaching Linkedin Website: bradgaynor.com.au…

People in this episode

Host: Brendan Lee

Guest: Brad Gaynor

Topics covered

• burnout in education
• sustainable teaching
• leadership
• emotional labour
• boundaries
• cognitive load

Keywords

• burnout
• education
• leadership
• emotional labour
• boundaries
• teacher wellbeing
• cognitive load

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Twitter/X, Linkedin, bradgaynor.com.au, learnwithlee.net

Books & works: From Burnout to Breakthrough: The Leadership Reset

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