Feeling a little overwhelmed? You are not alone. After years of navigating hybrid work, layoffs, and mounting pressures, many managers are at their breaking point. The stress is relentless.
This creates a vicious cycle. As managers struggle, fewer employees aspire to leadership, increasing the burden on those who remain.
UKG research shows that almost half (46%) of all managers They say they are likely to leave their jobs within a year because they are experiencing too much work-related stress. 70% would accept a pay cut at this time.
70% WOULD ACCEPT A WAGE CUT TODAY FOR A JOB THAT BETTER SUPPORTS THEIR MENTAL HEALTH.
Besides, Middle managers experience 59% more emotional demands. than their teams, but are 12% less likely to receive support.
Without strong managers, employee engagement decreases, burnout increases, and organizations risk collapsing from within.
Imagine a workplace where managers are supported, resilient, and equipped to lead.
Where leadership is a desirable and satisfying role, rather than a sentence of burnout. Organizations with strong pipelines have higher retention, better performance, and healthier cultures.
Employees who feel supported are twice as likely to work in sustainable environments and experience less conflict.
To reverse this trend, senior management must realize that their success depends entirely on the success of its managers.
Great leaders care. Great managers care. Great teams care. Great teammates care.
The solution:
I worked in the consulting division of a large Australian bank. They had a heavy workload and felt overwhelmed. A risk assessment showed many were feeling exhausted and not sleeping well.
After my keynote presentation: “Resilience in uncertain times.” – Managers were divided into groups and asked why they felt burned out (the impact of that burnout) and what they thought were possible solutions.
The following week, the division leader and all managers reviewed the list and identified three actions:
- Once a week the managers had breakfast together and got to know each other better.
- They were encouraged to adopt their company’s flexibility policy and save time with less travel.
- Every Friday at 3:00 p.m. they finished to dedicate themselves to personal care.
After 90 days, they completed another pulse and energy level survey, and engagement increased dramatically.
To reverse this worrying trend in managers, leaders must act:
- Let managers know they are important – and what you plan to do about your harmful work stress.
- Assess the main causes of harmful manager stress (psychosocial risk) through risk assessments and/or focus groups in which you register and listen with empathy.
- Encourage them to adopt the mantra that “self-care is not selfish.” and train them on how to implement practical rituals to turn this knowledge about resilience into action.
- Identify one risk to jointly focus on over the next 90 days. – after reviewing the top 5 psychosocial risks (unhealthy stress) and consulting with them to identify a risk.
- Monitor progress (check back periodically) and evaluate results after 90 days and adjust
How we can help:
Graeme Cowan is an author and speaker on team-based care and resilience. He is also a founding director of the board of directors of RU OK? and host of The Caring CEO podcast.
We help managers accept that self-care is not selfish and learn to care about others, support each other, and enjoy working together.
Graeme Talking Points.
Are your managers thriving or just surviving?
