What are some ways you've found to prevent burnout among ERG leadership?

You have got to align with things that you're passionate about and we have to recognize that there are seasons. So just because you're on a committee or a group now, doesn't mean you have to be there forever, just like seasons of life. For example, I might be too busy right now, but next year's first quarter I'm not so busy. I’ll get involved then. Just honoring your own time and recognizing the seasons, I think, is really important.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I don't think there's a leader running an ERG. ERGs are the people. The leader is a sponsor.  When people believe they're leading an ERG, I think that's where things go sideways and that's where things start to get very stressful because you think you're leading it. You're listening and you're showing up to listen and help everyone have a contribution, but you're not carrying the weight. You are helping to be a voice and to champion because as an executive you have a different space that you are making connections in.  You are empowering the learning and the collaboration. 

Split the responsibilities. I would have a shared chairmanship or shared sponsorship so there isn’t only one person that's fully responsible for it.  The leadership of ERGs is a great development opportunity for HiPo talent so having a defined onboarding process for the leadership role with a rotation process can also help.