Managers are Burning Out — and Why Skill Development Alone Won’t Help

Manager burnout is an emerging issue that needs attention, and rightfully so. Managers occupy a unique (and potentially stressful) position in the organization. They balance the pressures of leadership expectations at the top while staying attuned to employee demands at the base. Their impact influences everything from retention, productivity, and engagement to team morale, employee well-being, and organizational culture. However, with complex, new-age challenges—such as managing a multigenerational workforce, bridging skill gaps, and leading hybrid teams through transformations—landing on their plate, manager expectations have recently grown exponentially. As a result, organizations have a vast manager burnout risk problem.

According to a Gartner study, 54% of managers report experiencing work-driven stress and fatigue. 

Compared to individual contributors, manager burnout has more significant implications for an organization. Burnout leaves them with reduced mental capacity and efficacy to support others, ultimately reducing workplace productivity, morale, and well-being.

HR and C-suite leadership must address the dire situation of manager burnout or risk losing critical talent to burnout. This article discusses a few strategies to help HR leaders prevent organizational leadership exhaustion.

HR Strategies for Burnout Prevention in Managers

Managers are at risk for burnout due to overwhelming workloads, unrelenting deadlines, and feeling undervalued and unacknowledged for their efforts. So, how can organizations ensure their managers are effectively supported, equipped, and engaged to thrive?

The following section examines five strategies for preventing burnout in managers:

    1. Redefining Manager Role Expectations

According to a Gartner report, an average manager shoulders 51% more responsibilities than they have the capacity to manage effectively. Most organizations seek to address these growing responsibilities by increasing investments in skill development. However, this approach by itself is not sufficient. Here's why:

• Skill development doesn't address the increasing demands placed on managers or reduce their workload

• It doesn't fix outdated and inefficient workflows or eliminate process hurdles

• It doesn’t drive lasting behavioral change since there is no ongoing reinforcement and support

• Skills alone don’t necessarily make a manager more engaged or motivated

Companies should instead focus on improving job manageability by realigning the role to prioritize high-impact projects they are uniquely skilled to execute. They should empower managers to bring in contractors or on-demand talent during peak periods or connect team members to other mentors/coaches to help with support and development.

    2. Recognizing Managers’ Efforts

Recognition covers two key aspects. First, it acknowledges managers when they are experiencing burnout and empathizes with them so they feel heard and seen. Second, it recognizes and appreciates their ongoing contributions to organizational goals through sustained efforts. This means encouraging recognition from their peers, leaders, and direct reports. 

Regularly recognizing employees for their impact and effectiveness reinstates confidence in one's abilities and helps reduce mental withdrawal from the job.

    3. Reassessing Workload to Prevent Manager Burnout

HR leaders should closely evaluate managers’ workloads for competing priorities and de-prioritize low-impact tasks that might prevent accomplishing high-priority tasks. This can clarify which projects can be put off or canceled, which deadlines might require extensions, and where workload redistribution may be necessary.

    4. Prioritizing Networking and Mental Health in Leadership

Organizations should build networks for managers to develop trusting relationships with fellow managers, seek support in high-stakes situations, or collaborate cross-functionally if and when needed. This means creating purposeful opportunities for managers to connect and bond, such as lunches, leadership support groups, seminars, happy hours, etc.

Companies may also consider introducing manager-specific corporate wellness initiatives to ensure employee well-being and leadership effectiveness. Candid discussions on the challenges managers face and constructive feedback can help address the unique stressors of the manager role. 

    5. Work-Life Balance for Managers

In a digitally connected world, managers might feel pressured to be accessible around the clock to their teams and leaders. This can put them in an overextended mode of hustle, constantly multitasking, working long hours, and overlooking professional-personal boundaries.

HR leaders must help managers set realistic expectations with leadership and direct reports regarding availability and response times. This is key to reducing the stress of constant overdrive and operating beyond office hours, thereby preventing manager burnout.

Conclusion

Due to their key position in an organization, managers' disengagement and burnout have a ripple effect on entire teams and business outcomes. However, stress-induced burnout often becomes inevitable when managers deal with excessive workloads and unrealistic expectations.

Preventing manager burnout is not a one-time effort. It requires consistent commitment from organizations to evolve the manager role, help them establish stronger work-life boundaries, and implement the best workplace stress management practices.