I heard the car horn and the screeching brakes. Then I looked over just in time to see that I was about to be t-boned by someone from the cross traffic at an intersection.

My life didn’t flash before my eyes. I didn’t even have as much adrenaline as you would imagine. Just as the other car collided with my passenger side, I realized that I was in the process of running a red light without even hesitation and that this accident was entirely my fault.

I hadn’t looked at the light once as I crossed over the highway toward my first apartment in Dallas. I wasn’t trying to be reckless, either. I can remember feeling numb on the drive home after another demeaning and degrading day at work, and now I had put my life and others at risk as a result.

I felt instantly guilty as my car rolled to a stop. I said a quick prayer, hoping no one was hurt, and then approached the other vehicle, apologizing as they stepped out of their car to yell at me. Everyone was fine, and we exchanged insurance details while I waited for a tow truck to arrive.

I was sitting on the cement curb in a nearby parking lot, trying to do next, when it occurred to me that this accident would be a good excuse to miss some or all of work the next day. I felt a sense of relief knowing that a serious accident would afford me a few hours away from a place where human dignity and respect were almost nonexistent.

Wait, what? I nearly injured myself and others in a careless act as I drove home, and now all I can think about is the chance to miss work. This has to be one of the most blatant and dangerous signs of workplace burnout. But how could my new job be so toxic when I had only been there for a few months?

In my experience, I’ve yet to meet someone dealing with workplace burnout because they work too much or because the work is too difficult. I believe those items usually show up as the symptoms someone recognizes and shares when they are in a bad working situation but rarely are either of those the root cause of the pain. An employee’s desolation and depression are usually the result of organizational cultures and leaders who fail to operate with human dignity, respect, and meaningful purpose.

This was definitely the case when I had my car accident in 2003. I worked for a telecom provider in an entry-level sales job where we would perform in-person cold calls at 50 businesses each day. The sales grind can be difficult for many, but it never bothered me. What I struggled to understand was the ugliness, threats, vulgarity, and disrespect of our leaders, including my frontline manager.

A typical morning included multiple people being cussed out for not producing enough sales while a manager with little real-world experience hovered over each of our workstations, telling us what we were doing wrong on every call and getting mad when we were off the phone or taking a brain break. We were expected to only use the restroom during a small window between morning calls and our time in the field. If you used the restroom outside of those times and did not get permission, they yelled at you for being again. Then it was time to hit the streets, and you had better be on the road within 15 minutes, or they would cuss at you on the spot and then ridicule you in front of the company the next morning not being a team player.

The shaming was only slightly improved once you were in your sales territory, away from the office. I remember multiple times when my manager would call me to ensure I was doing my job and then admit that he had followed me when I left the office and secretly counted how many businesses I had visited as he spied on me. I would have complained to the senior leadership, but I quickly realized he was following manager protocol as he attempted to control every part of my day while establishing his dominance over me.

I hated it.

This company’s growth strategy was predicated on people as a disposable resource. They would recruit young people, energize them with an incredible two-week onboarding and training program, and get the best out of each recruit before they eventually crashed.

In my case, I literally crashed. It was time to quit.

At the start of 2004, I received an offer to join First Choice Power, and I could finally see beyond the dark cloud that had blurred my vision. My new job in the deregulated electricity industry was incredibly difficult, and I loved every minute. Each day I was challenged to learn new things and encouraged to share my insights on projects, even when they failed to meet expectations. I was treated like a fully formed adult, and my leaders provided me with vision, mentorship, and on-the-job support.

Thriving organizational cultures that focus on human dignity and serving the common good usually lead to businesses that grow and thrive over time in a healthy and sustainable way. My terrible experience and subsequent car wreck helped to form my deep resolve that building a strong company culture is the most important part of any organization’s strategy.

Like all things in life, I am grateful for the bad times because of the formation they provided. Everything I’ve ever experienced has led me to this moment, and now I am blessed to be part of a team on a mission.

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