Burnout doesn’t have to be the price of ambition. Berlin-based leadership coach Nora Mokdad Burger is helping professionals rewrite the narrative by guiding them toward healthier, more sustainable ways to lead. Through her work at Upward Coaching, she empowers leaders to set boundaries, build resilience, and stay connected to their purpose, even in high-stress environments.
In this exclusive Manning Global interview, Nora shares her insights on navigating pressure without losing balance, the mindset shifts that support meaningful leadership, and practical tools for protecting your well-being while stepping into your full potential. If you’re ready to lead with clarity and care, you’re in the right place!
What inspired you to become a leadership and resilience coach?
Stress has become our modern-day pandemic. In the aftermath of COVID-19, as the world reopened and adjusted to a new normal, I saw many brilliant, ambitious, and successful individuals struggling with burnout, stress, and declining mental health.
People are constantly striving for fulfilment, success, and happiness, but these are nearly impossible to sustain when we’re running on empty, overwhelmed, and constantly rushing.
I recognised a growing need for resilience – not just in my clients, but also among friends, family, and others in high-responsibility roles throughout the wider community. That realisation inspired me to specialise in supporting leaders: helping them prevent burnout, build emotional resilience, and lead with strength and clarity through demanding times.
How do you define high-impact leadership in today’s fast-paced corporate environment?
High-impact leadership today is less about authority and more about authenticity, resilience, emotional intelligence, and the ability to create clarity amid chaos. In a fast-paced environment, the most effective leaders are those who remain grounded under pressure, make confident decisions, and inspire trust through empathy and self-awareness.
High-impact leaders cultivate well-being, adaptability, and a sense of purpose within their teams. They understand that their energy is contagious, so they prioritise their own resilience and emotional regulation to better support and empower those around them.
What key traits do you see in leaders who are able to maintain both performance and well-being?
The most effective leaders who sustain high performance and well-being share key traits. They set strong boundaries and say “no” without guilt, knowing every “yes” must align with their values and purpose.
They build habits for sustainable success, protecting time for rest, reflection, and recharge, whether that’s exercise, mindfulness, walking, or meditation. Rest isn’t a luxury – it’s a non-negotiable for long-term success.
They’re also careful with their energy, choosing activities that fuel them and avoiding their “energy zappers.”
What are the most common stress triggers you observe in corporate professionals today?
Some of the most common stress triggers I observe in corporate professionals revolve around uncertainty and constant pressure. Time constraints, unrealistic expectations, and the pressure to compare oneself to others can create ongoing mental strain.
Conflicts – whether with team members or managers – also add emotional weight that’s difficult to shake.
Another major contributor is the lack of true downtime. Many professionals are always “on,” constantly reachable through email, messaging apps, and notifications, making it nearly impossible to fully disconnect. Poor boundaries between work and personal life, coupled with inadequate recovery time and chronic sleep deprivation, only exacerbate the issue.
These factors combine to create a cycle of burnout that is hard to break without intentional changes.
What’s the biggest myth people have about burnout recovery?
The belief that a single vacation or retreat can solve the problem! While these breaks offer temporary relief, true recovery requires consistent, intentional daily habits and lifestyle changes over time.
Burnout is caused by unmanaged chronic stress, which is why I advocate for small, sustainable changes, like establishing clear boundaries, practicing mono-tasking, and scheduling regular breaks to recalibrate our stress response and support long-term well-being.
In reality, sustainable burnout recovery is about cultivating daily practices that nourish both mental and physical health, rather than relying on occasional escapes.
What frameworks or tools do you use to help clients build stress management systems that last?
I use the 5 Resets by Dr. Aditi Nerurkar and Dr. Phil Stutz’s Life Force Pyramid to help clients build lasting stress management systems. Both frameworks focus on small, sustainable changes that lead to long-term resilience and well-being.
We work on different resets tailored to their individual needs and lifestyles. We begin with a Mindset Reset, which shifts from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset, seeing stress as an opportunity for growth.
This is paired with a Movement Reset: incorporating regular physical activity – whether it’s simple walks or more intense exercise – to reduce tension and improve emotional regulation.
We also dive into a Nutrition Reset, where we focus on balanced nutrition to stabilise mood and energy levels. I advocate for a Recovery Reset, prioritising sleep and recovery to ensure sustained resilience.
Lastly, a Connection Reset encourages clients to cultivate supportive relationships, reducing isolation and providing emotional support.
These combined approaches help clients integrate practical habits into their daily lives, creating sustainable systems for stress management and burnout prevention.
What advice would you give to leaders who are struggling to find the balance between achieving success and maintaining personal well-being?
Achieving both success and personal well-being is possible with intentional prioritisation and boundaries. To lead effectively and maintain peak performance, you must first take care of yourself and protect your energy.
It all begins with a mindset shift. Once you realise that self-care fuels your ability to give to others and perform at your best, guilt no longer has a place in the equation. It’s about understanding that taking care of yourself is essential for sustained success, not a hindrance to it.
How can leaders start setting healthy boundaries without guilt or fear of judgment?
It all starts with a mindset shift. Leaders need to understand that protecting their energy isn’t selfish; it’s essential. Peak performance and personal well-being are impossible without sustainable energy and energy can’t be sustained without clear, intentional boundaries.
Once high achievers internalise that boundaries are a necessity, not selfishness, they can begin setting them without guilt or fear of judgment.
This requires an honest audit: What depletes your energy? What restores it? Whether it’s screen time, toxic relationships, poor sleep, or nutrition, leaders must examine their habits and environment.
Healthy boundaries are like muscles, they can be trained and strengthened. A skilled coach can support this shift, helping leaders build boundaries aligned with their values, goals, and leadership style. Boundaries aren’t barriers, they’re the foundation for sustainable success.
What process do you recommend for making effective decisions under pressure?
Start by breathing deeply to restore calm and clarity to the mind. This step helps create space for focused thinking. Next, reconnect to the main purpose and core values of the individual or organisation; these act as a compass, guiding the leader toward a conscious and empowered decision.
After exploring the available options, choose the decision that aligns with the main purpose and core values.
I also encourage people to think in terms of “yes” and “no.” For every decision, we’re saying yes to something and no to something else. Be clear on what you’re saying yes to with each option and just as clear on what you’re saying no to.
A well-coached mind doesn’t procrastinate, it makes decisions confidently and intentionally.
In your view, how can companies create a culture that supports both performance and personal well-being?
Companies can foster a supportive culture by integrating well-being into their core practices. Here are a few key ways to do this:
- Provide Proper Training: Offer stress management, time management, emotional intelligence, and burnout prevention training for both employees and managers.
- Remove the Stigma Around Mental Health: Normalise conversations through storytelling, leadership vulnerability, and inclusive policies to create psychological safety.
- Align Policies with Values: Offer flexible work, enforce reasonable workloads, and encourage time off – well-being must be lived, not just stated.
- Encourage Leadership by Example: Managers and executives should model well-being by setting boundaries, taking time off, and prioritising their own mental health. This sets the tone for the rest of the organisation.
- Integrate Well-being into Performance Reviews: Redefine performance to include sustainable work habits and support for team well-being, not just outcomes.
What are some simple, daily rituals that can make a huge difference in stress management?
- Sleeping enough: I cannot stress enough the importance of sleep on mental and physical well-being. There is a huge amount of new research coming out now about how important and profound the impact of sleep is on our well-being.
- Breathing, mindfulness, or prayer first thing in the morning: 5-10 minutes, make it happen. It’s a prime time to set your mind and yourself up for success.
- Edit your to-do list: In the morning, go through your to-do list for the day and reassess. Cross out at least three things that are not an absolute priority. The little free time created in this process goes a long way in reducing stress and overwhelm.
- Mono-task: This increases focus and productivity, and reduces stress and cognitive overload.
- Eat healthy: Try not to eat processed meals, and don’t go too long without eating.
You speak three languages and coach internationally – how has working across cultures influenced your coaching style?
My coaching style remains consistent, whether I’m coaching in one language or another. However, working across cultures and with people from diverse backgrounds has deepened my understanding of our shared humanity. I’ve come to realize that the challenges we face, regardless of nationality, religion, or language, are fundamentally similar. What truly connects us all is our common human experience: our struggles, aspirations, and the desire for growth and connection.
What does sustainable success look like to you?
Achieving your goals and dreams without burning out.
Looking ahead, what’s next for you in your coaching journey?
I am currently undergoing a coach training on how to deal with resistance and limiting beliefs, as well as on the somatic and embodiment levels. Next is releasing a course on energy rituals for busy leaders, which involves daily micro-practices to protect and boost energy under pressure.
Besides your work, what are some hobbies or interests that you’re truly passionate about?
I really love travelling, cooking, and reading. Beauty is one of my top values, and I love the visual arts in general, especially painting, so I also paint. I’m passionate about fashion and interior design, and I enjoy visiting art galleries and photography exhibitions a lot.
What’s one travel destination on your bucket list that’s not typically found in travel guides, and what intrigues you about it?
I have always wanted to do the pilgrimage walk to Santiago de Compostela. For me, walking is my way to connect with myself and my purpose. What intrigues me most about it is the spiritual journey and the version of myself that will emerge on the other side after the long walk.
Do you have any hidden talents or artistic pursuits that you enjoy?
I’m a writer, and this creative practice is at the heart of how I connect with people and explain what I do. Storytelling gives me a powerful framework – whether it’s helping someone navigate a transition, make sense of closure, or reframe the final chapter of a personal or professional journey. I often do an “old story-new story” exercise with my clients during our completion sessions. They write their new story of their life, envisioning how they want it to be.
What’s a surprising or unusual fact about you that people might not expect, something that doesn’t typically come up in your professional bio or interviews?
I love singing, and I studied fine arts as well. I’m a good cook, and I was born in Sofia, Bulgaria. My family owns olive orchards, and I love the olive season every October, especially making olive oil.
What was the best piece of advice you were ever given?
Be messy and come unprepared!
We often hear about your professional achievements, but can you share a personal achievement or moment in your life that you’re particularly proud of?
I’m incredibly proud of my children for the kind, empathetic human beings they’ve become. Raising them to speak my mother tongue and making them trilingual while living in Germany was no small task, and it’s something I deeply cherish.
I’m also proud of our truly international family. Despite cultural, linguistic, and religious differences, my husband and I have built a mostly happy, loving home. It hasn’t always been easy, but we’ve shown that love and dedication really can conquer all!
Outside of your professional roles, what’s something you’ve always wanted to learn or try but haven’t had the opportunity to explore yet?
I’d love to practice aerial yoga after trying it just once, but the opportunity hasn’t come yet to do it regularly. I’d also like to take Latin dance classes.
If you could have a one-hour conversation with any fictional character, who would it be, and what burning question would you ask them?
I’d love to have a one-hour conversation with Winnie the Pooh. His gentle way of seeing the world, his love of simple joys, and the way he values friendship have always resonated with me. I’d ask him, “How do you stay so present and content, even when things are uncertain?” In a world that often feels rushed and complicated, I think Pooh’s quiet wisdom could teach us a lot about slowing down, being kind, and finding happiness in the little things.
What was your dream job as a child?
As a young child, my dream was to be a teacher. Later, I wanted to become a writer and musical singer. As a teenager, my aspirations shifted to radio, TV, and film.
One habit that changed your life?
Reading. I am an avid reader and I wouldn’t be who I am without it.
What is your life motto?
Be the change you wish to see in the world.
What’s a memorable visual from your childhood that continues to hold significance in your life today?
Spring breaks in Lebanon, having picnic lunches under the olive trees on sunny days. Blue skies, yellow and white daffodils, and eating wild thyme salad. These are the images, smells, and flavours of my childhood.
In my life today, this represents true fulfilment and happiness – the perfect temperature, the Mediterranean plants, the weather, and the flavours.
If you had to sum up your life philosophy or a guiding principle in just one sentence, what would it be?
Always choose kindness, you never know the silent battles someone else is fighting.
If you were to write a personal letter to your younger self, what advice or words of wisdom would you offer?
Take yourself and life less seriously. You don’t need to be perfect. You don’t need to achieve more. You are enough as you are. Be less critical of yourself and others, and enjoy the present moment. Do less and be more.
It’s not necessary to rush through things, especially during your university years. Take the time to enjoy the present moment. It’s not just the finish line that matters; enjoy the process and embrace life along the way.
Don’t forget to check out Nora Mokdad Burger’s social media profiles here:
Our interview with Nora is reminder of why we do what we do at Manning Global – building meaningful, positive relationships that lead to mutual success. If you’re looking to collaborate or want to learn more, we’d love to hear from you!
