burnout

work-in-progress

Definition

Lets start with a definition.

exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration

to cause to fail, wear out, or become exhausted especially from overwork or overuse

In the context of milsim gaming this can occur with the additional responsibilities of leadership at any level.

Up and Out

A pattern I have observed several times over the years is one I refer to as
Up and Out.

The normal pattern is: a dedicated community member is promoted to a position of leadership and increasing responsibilities which eventually leads to them encountering burnout and leaving the community they dedicated themselves to.

Leadership Terms

One option I propose is leadership terms. Manage the expectation by limiting the duration of the leadership. Having the leadership role be a limited term up-front avoids the negative connotations of going down in the hierarchy and allows players to continue enjoying the community.

For example, rifle section commander position could be a three month term. After the term rotate players around allowing current leaders to fold back into the section and enjoy some time in the section as a rifleman again.